Writer Dileep Raj sues Krithi International Book Festival bosses for insult'
Dileep Raj said he was invited as a participant in a session on dalit literature.
KOCHI: Writer and academic Dileep Raj has served a legal notice on the organisers of Krithi International Festival of Books and Authors held in Kochi from March 1 to 11 for their irresponsible behaviour and the insult he suffered after he was invited to attend the festival. Notices were issued to S. Rameshan, (convener), Vyshakhan (director) Ajith Sreedhar (secretary, SPCS), Ezhachery Ramachandran (president, SPCS) and Shaji N. Karun (creative director) seeking Rs 5 lakh as compensation.
Dileep Raj, who is also assistant professor of philosophy in Brennan College, Thalassery, said he was invited as a participant in a session on dalit literature. “I had agreed to attend the session during an invitation over phone but informed the organisers that I would not be interested when the details of the programmes came to my notice. The same was informed to the organisers through e-mail,” he said.
According to him, the organisers then invited him for another session on ‘Writing from the Margins’ in which they said he will get ample time to articulate his ideas. The session was to have a conversation between him and the well- known adivasi writer Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar. “I readily agreed as I have great respect for the author and I booked a ticket to Kochi,” he said.
Raj, however, said the experience thereafter turned out to be quite humiliating as the website and printed literature about the festival carried the name of writer Narayan as the moderator of the session. “Although I contacted the person concerned and asked him to clarify the matter as I did not want to cause any discomfort to an important writer like Narayan, no changes were made on the website or the printed literature despite the promise of making the necessary changes.”
“I protested against the cavalier manner of the organisers and informed them that I would not be attending the session. I have served the notice to highlight the self-respect of the writer and against the authoritarianism of the organisers of such literary festivals using public money,” he added.