More writers return state awards

PUNE: One more writer from Pune, Mahboob Gaus Sayyad (Sayyadbhai), a member of the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, returned his state literary award along with the Rs 25,000 award money on Wednesday as a mark of protest against the increasing intolerance and polarization on the basis of religion. Four other writers from the state including Mukund Kule, Ibrahim Afghan, Shahir Sambhaji Bhagat and Urmila Pawar too returned their awards.
On Tuesday, two Pune-based writers Ganesh Vispute and Sanjay Bhaskar Joshi, and Yeshu Patil returned their state awards.
Sayyadbhai, in a letter addressed to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, said attempts are being made in various parts of the state and the country to polarize people on religious or social grounds. "No action is being taken against MPs and MLAs who have made provocative statements. Restrictions are being imposed on what people should eat, write, see and listen," he said in his letter.
Sayyadbhai, who had received the state literary award in 2010 for his autobiography 'Dagadavarchi Perni', also urged Fadnavis to ensure the safety of every citizen in the state and protect their fundamental rights.
Writer Mukund Kule, who had received two awards in 2013, returned the cash prize of Rs 1.02 lakh. "Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi have been killed. Restrictions are also being imposed on what to eat. Writers returning the award is the first step of protest. People called Maharashtra a progressive state. Now it is becoming regressive," he said.
Poet and writer Ganesh Vispute, who returned the award on Tuesday, said, "Several restrictions are being imposed on people including on what to eat and what not to eat. They are not willing to listen to any divergent views or thoughts. Although the Prime Minister expressed his sadness (over the Dadri killing), he also said these incidents are not related to the Centre. Returning the award is to mark protest. The reaction is a cumulative effect of the incidents that have occurred over the years."
Sanjay Bhaskar Joshi, writer, who returned the state awards he had won for two of his novels, said this is a major collective action of writers.
"Returning the awards is of temporary significance and may not help in achieving the desired results. Even if this was so, I decided to join the collective protest,'' Joshi said. Yeshu Patil who returned the award he had received in 2008 said the protest was against the killing of rationalist thinkers Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.
Some writers, however, were not too convinced with the move of returning the awards. Veteran literary figure N M Joshi said: "The thought behind returning the award may be honest, but the writers did not return the awards when many such incidents occurred in the past. Writers are returning the awards all at the same time and this raises questions. Writers should condemn the incident instead of returning the awards," Joshi said.
Prominent Marathi author and social activist Anil Avachat said the award is an appreciation of the people.
"I am not going to say whether this (returning of the awards) is right or wrong. If writers feel that this is the way to protest, then they can do it. During the British rule, Ravindranath Tagore returned the title of knighthood. However, this is the government elected by people. There are other ways to protest," Avchat said.