In a growing wave of protest against the perceived climate of intolerance in India, eight more Marathi writers and artists have joined the ranks of intellectuals returning their
In a growing wave of protest against the perceived climate of intolerance in India, eight more Marathi writers and artists have joined the ranks of intellectuals returning their awards. These protests, sparked by concerns over the suppression of free expression and the increasing violence towards rationalists, have spread across the state. The latest to return their awards include journalist and writer Ibrahim Afghan, who has decided to give back both his Sahitya Akademi award and another recognition he received for his Urdu writing.
“I believe the voice of reason is the essence of the secular, democratic republic that India is,” said Afghan, explaining his decision. “I stand by my writer brethren to raise the pitch for the same. It’s better late than never.”
Afghan’s protest has inspired others, including seven additional writers and artists who have returned awards they received from the state, along with their cash prizes. These include Shahir Sambhaji Bhagat, the musician who scored the Oscar-nominated film Court, and senior writer Rajeev Naik, who received an award from the state government back in 1989. Bhagat, in particular, expressed his frustration with the recent violent incidents in the country, stating,
“This is one more step in the protest against the killings of rationalists, Dadri lynching, and the government’s interference in art, science, and education.”
The discontent among the intellectual community in Maharashtra has been building for some time, with many writers and artists expressing their concern over the rising intolerance in the country. Journalist Mukund Kule, who plans to return two awards and a cash prize worth over one lakh, said,
“Our nation has reduced freedom of expression to such a level that killings have become commonplace. Surveillance on each other’s food habits and a misleading knowledge of history are just visible avatars of this climate of growing intolerance.”
Writer and critic Milind Malshe echoed these sentiments, particularly criticizing the Shiv Sena’s attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni in Mumbai.
“Human dignity and values have ceased to exist in the current political and social atmosphere,” said Malshe, “and the government’s response has been unsatisfactory.”
Other prominent voices in the protest include Sayyed Bhai, founder of the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, who is returning his government award over concerns about the government’s inaction on the Sachhar Committee report, and Urmila Pawar, a well-known writer, who is also returning her state award.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Bhaskar Joshi has taken his protest further by pledging an additional Rs 80,000 to the chief minister’s drought relief fund, on top of returning his award.
With each passing day, the number of intellectuals joining the protest continues to grow. What began as a symbolic act by a few has now become a rallying cry for freedom of expression, equality, and justice across the country.