The controversy over the decision to revoke the invitation extended to English litterateur Nayantara Sahgal for the inauguration of an all India Marathi literary meet at Yavatmal reached a flashpoint on Wednesday, as Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal (ABMSM) President Shripad Joshi resigned from his post in protest.
Upset with the decision taken by the conclave’s local organisers— Yavatmal’s Dr V B Kolte Sanshodhan Kendra Ani Vachanalay to revoke the invitation extended to Sahgal to inaugurate the three-day conclave beginning on January 11, Shripad Joshi — through an email to the conclave organisers — tendered his resignation from his post as the president of ABMSM. Confirming the development, Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh (VSS) President Manohar Mhaisalkar said: “Yes, we have learnt that Shripad Joshi has resigned from his post and I am awaiting details. However, the ABMSM will meet tomorrow to elect a new President in his place”.
Incidentally, Joshi’s tenure as the president of ABMSM was to end after next three months. Though the exact reason for his resignation has not been spelt either by Joshi himself or the conclave organisers, the outgoing ABMSM is understood to have been miffed with the manner in which the local organisers revoked Sahgal’s invitation.
It may be recalled that on January 6, the organising committee of the 92nd Akhil Bharatiya Maratahi Sahitya Sammelan revoking the invitation to English litterateur Nayantara Sahgal to inaugurate the conclave on the ostensible ground that it had received threats that there would be disruptions in the proceedings if she attended the three-day conference.