The protest by some Sahitya Akademi award winners should be seen in the right context. It has nothing to do with their claim of growing intolerance in society under Prime Minister Modi’s Government. It is self-centred and a creation of frustrated intellectuals
Some scientists and artistes have come out against the supposed increasing intolerance in society. They are complaining about the systematic spread of intolerance. Hundreds of artistes and curators, have issued a strongly-worded statement. a number of intellectuals from academic institutions have started an online petition addressed to the President of India, saying that they are in agreement with the writers who have returned their Sahitya Akademi awards
The contemporary literary scenario of Indian languages is divided the over returning of awards of the Sahitya Akademi by the authors. Those who have returned the award are blaming the Union Government of inaction against the killers of rationalist and writer MM Kalburgi. Apart from that, they are also worried about the stoic silence of the Prime Minister over the killing of a Muslim man, Akhlaq, in a Dadri village in Uttar Pradesh. Uday Prakash returned his Sahitya Akademi award, and Nayantara Sahgal and Ashok Vajpayee followed. It was an excellent and well-thought of move by the writers. But, Ashok Vajpayee did a mistake and made it political. Uday Prakash, while returning the award, had made it clear that he was very much disturbed by the killings of Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar.
The moment Akhlaq’s murder was brought in, the BJP and the RSS smelled a rat and launched a counter-attack. The leaders of the BJP and people affiliated with the RSS started digging the past of the protesting writers. It was widely known in Hindi literary circles that Uday Prakash had received an award from a controversial BJP parliamentarian. Questions were raised on that award. The pictures of that award ceremony went viral on social media. This has damaged the secular credentials of Uday Prakash.
The writers who initially returned the Sahitya Akademi award alleged that the Akademi had not bothered to organise a condolence meeting after the murder of MM Kalburgi and condemn the killing. The silence of the Akademi created an atmosphere against the working of its president. later, it was clarified by the Akademi that a big condolence meeting on Kalburgi’s killing had been held at Bangalore. The basic premise of the protest was neutralised.
Now, if we analyse the protest of the Akademi award winners, it is crystal clear that this is a fight about getting a grip on the cultural and literary organisation. Sections of the left had supported Indira Gandhi during the Emergency, and in return, she had handed over all cultural organisations to leftist scholars. Over a period of time, the leftists flourished under the patronage of the Congress. They enjoyed their fiefdom over various cultural organisations. For almost three decades being a leftist was licence for being secular and progressive. Even those who pretended to be leftists, got the privilege of being nominated to these organisations. These ‘progressive’ intellectual started behaving like cultural despots and gave no opportunity for alternative views to survive.
Now, cut to the present scenario. It was the first time since independence that a non-Congress party formed the Government at the Centre on its own strength. The Bharatiya Janata Party got the majority under the leadership of Mr Narendra Modi. Before that, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee had formed a BJP-led Government, but it was on life-support, dependent on more than two dozen parties. The Narendra Modi Government is not on a life-support system. Prime Minister Modi is also different from Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee in many ways.
After the Government’s formation, the Bharatiya Janata Party began asserting itself in the appointments of heads of various cultural organisations. The left-leaning people are being removed by the Right-wingers. Here, the clash of interests began and the so-called progressive writers and academicians have started protesting. When a Rightist was appointed as the head of the Indian Council of Historical research, a major hue and cry was raised. It was alleged that this Government wanted to re-write the history of the country. It was also publicised that Vice Chancellors of Central Universities were being appointed after getting the nod from Keshav Kunj, the RSS office in Delhi. It was also alleged that the Narendra Modi Government wanted to ‘saffronise’ the great institutions built over a period of time. Articles were written that the saffron party did not have the talent pool needed to fill those coveted posts.
One wonders what the song and dance is all about. It has always been the Government of the day that has appointed people of its choice to Government-managed institutions. Is it not foolish for so-called seculars to demand that the Modi regime must appoint people who have stood against the BJP or its ideologyIJ Did the left-leaning Governments in the past appoint Right-of-Centre professionals as heads of educational or cultural or literary organisationsIJ So the protest of the writers should be seen in the light of the above facts. These writers are losing patience and hope, and this action of theirs is the outcome of that impatience and hopelessness.
The reason for this so-called protest of writers under the veil of threat to freedom of speech is the Union Government’s another action: The ban on foreign funding of many NGOs. A thorough investigation is needed on the foreign funding pattern of some of the cultural organisations too. It is widely believed that some of the writers are associated with the organisations which were funded by foreign agencies with their offices in India. It is a known fact that many of the ‘progressive’ intellectuals have enjoyed the hospitality of these agencies. They made use of sponsored foreign trips to attend seminars etc.
After the Union Government started tightening the rope, the ‘progressive’ jamaat started fighting back. The most embarrassing way to question this Government is to raise the question of ‘security’ of minorities. The progressive champions of the minorities took a position and started firing on the Government. The ammunition was provided by the likes of Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Prachi and Union Minister Mahesh Sharma.
Not only the murder of Akhlaq in Dadri, but any killing in the name of religion or caste in Mahatma Gandhi’s land is a blot on our society. But at the same time, politicising murders is also a crime. Giving the killing a communal colour, is a sin in a secular, democratic country like ours. From the protests which we seen so far, it is obvious that the voices raised have not really been against any suppression of freedom of speech, but political. It’s a clash of ideology mixed with self-interest.
(The writer is a television journalist with IBN7)