Maha Govt’s Withdrawal of Award for Kobad Ghandy’s Book Triggers Protests by Authors
New Delhi: The Maharashtra government's move to withdraw an award for the Marathi translation of Kobad Ghandy's Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir has triggered protests by authors.
The book is an account of Ghandy's experience in jail, where he spent a decade after being accused of being a Maoist ideologue.
Anagha Lele translated the book into Marathi.
Famous Marathi writer Sharad Baviskar, who is a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, has returned the award that he received for his autobiographical book, Bhura, in protest against the government’s move, saying taking back the given award is fascist, the New Indian Express reported.
“Why did the incumbent state government overrule the committee’s decision... It’s a people’s award. We want to know who took the decision to cancel the award?” he said.
“If Maharashtra government changes its decision then I will accept the award,” he added.
Another author, Anand Karandikar, has announced he will return his award in protest against the government's decision.
Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir by Kobad Ghandy. (Roli Books, Match 16, 2021)
On December 6, the government's Marathi language department had announced the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 to Lele. However, the move was criticised on social media over accusations against Ghandy.
Six days later, the government withdrew the award given to her.
In an interview to Hindustan Times, Lele said that social media, comprising those who had not read Ghandy’s book or the translation, were responsible for overturning the decision of experts who had recommended it.
On December 14, the writer and chairman of the government's language advisory committee, Laxmikant Deshmukh, announced that he was stepping down from his post in protest against the move, news agency PTI reported.
In a letter to Deepak Kesarkar, minister for the Marathi language, he said, "Maharashtra had never witnessed political interference in literary awards, except in 1981 when Vinay Hardikar's book was similarly rejected by the then state government."
Ghandy's book, he said, does not sympathise with Maoist violence, but the state government took a "one-sided decision".
Also read: For Maoists, Kobad Ghandy’s ‘Mafia’ Reference in Book Was the Last Straw
Kesarkar had defended the withdrawal of the award, saying that "an award even for the translation of Ghandy's book would have meant the government's stamp (of approval) for the Naxalite movement and their violent actions."
Meanwhile, four members of the award selection committee – including authors Pradnya Daya Pawar, Neeraja, and Heramb Kulkarni – resigned from the state Literature and Culture Board in protest against the government's decision.
Another member of the board, Vinod Shirsath, also resigned.
According to PTI, the government has scrapped the award selection committee.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, Ajit Pawar, criticised the government's decision saying it was trying to "control the fields of literature and culture" and impose an "undeclared emergency".
(With inputs from PTI)
This article went live on December fifteenth, two thousand twenty two, at twenty-seven minutes past nine at night.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
