Akademi has failed in its duty: Writers

New Delhi / Thiruvananthapuram: Another Malayalam short-story writer, P.K. Parakkadavu, said he would give up his Akademi membership. Sarah Joseph, who won the prestigious honour for her novel Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God the Father), said she would soon send the cash prize and plaque to the Akademi by courier.

“An alarming situation is being created in the country in all spheres of life after the Modi government came to power. The religious harmony and secularism of the country is unprecedentedly under threat,” she told.

She said three writers had already been killed and K.S. Bhagwan was facing threats from communal forces, but the Centre had done nothing to dispel the growing fear among writers, activists and people in other sections of society, she said.

Satchidanandan said the Sahitya Akademi had “failed” in its duty to stand with writers and uphold freedom of expression. Satchidanandan was serving on the general council, executive board and financial committee of the Akademi.

“I am sorry to observe that the Akademi has failed in its duty to stand with the writers and to uphold the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution that seems to be getting violated every day in the country,” the writer said.

“I had written to the Akademi when M.M. Kalburgi was killed earlier. They had held condolences in Bengaluru but they should have done something nationally. There was no response to my request to pass a resolution,” Satchidanandan said.