Ashoke Vajpai, former chairperson of Lalit Kala Academy, has returned his Sahitya Academi award to the government.
Also read: (https://www.jantakareporter.com/india/nehrus-niece-writer-nayantara-sahgal-returns-sahitya-akademi-award-to-protest-against-dadri-lynching/19341)
Vajpai said, “It’s high time that writers take a stand.”
He condemned the killing of writers and rationalists like, Pansare, Kalburgi and Dhabolkar and added, “Artists are being killed and their killers have still not been caught. Irresponsible statements are [being] made everyday.”
Vajpai also questioned the silence of PM Narendra Modi on the killing of rationalists and Dadri lynching of a Muslim man by a mob on October 29.
He said, “A man is murdered on basis of a rumor, & the PM is quiet about it. I mean, isn’t there right to life?”
Earlier, Nayantara Sehgal, niece of Pd. Jawahar lal Nehru had returned her Sahitya Academi award while six Kannada writers had returned their literary awards to the Karnataka government.