Sahitya Akademi calls emergency meeting

GORAKHPUR: Sahitya Akademi has called an emergency meeting of its executive body on October 23 to discuss the issue of writers returning their awards over rising religious inviolence in the country. A few have even resigned from the literary body over the issue.
“A regular meeting between the board and eminent writers of different languages as its members was scheduled for December.However, the ongoing crisis in the literary world has forced the Akademi to call an urgent meeting. Future course of action will be decided on the basis of the decision taken in the meeting,” Akademi president Vishwanth Tiwari told TOI on Monday.
“The meeting to be held in New Delhi will discuss issues covering resignation of writers from Sahitya Academy and their decision to return literary awards,” Tiwari, who is on a visit to his native place, said on Monday. He had earlier criticized the writers’ move to return awards and had said that instead of returning the awards, they should find another way of protest.
He had expressed his resolve to personally request writers, in writing, not to quit the Akademi and return the awards earned through their outstanding literary work.