In a first, farm widow Vaishali S Yede on Friday inaugurated the controversy-ridden 92nd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, amid a protest by a section of invitees.
“This is first time that a non-literary personality who represents the peasantry of this region has been invited to inaugurate the 92nd ABMSS,” Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh President Manohar Mhaisalkar said shortly before the inaugural.
All eyes were on the ABMSS event since last Sunday when the parent body, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal abruptly withdrew its invitation to renowned English writer Nayantara Sahgal to inaugurate the 92nd conference.
The raging row resulted in top Marathi literary figures declining invites to replace Sahgal for the inaugural, other invitees boycotting the ABMSS, culminating in the resignation of ABMSM president Shripad Joshi three days ago.