WRITERS RETURN SAHITYA CADEMY AWARDS There is cascading effect, when 40 writers and more, intellectuals return awards in protest, it is not organized conspiracy or concerted effort, but decision voiced by single individuals in solidarity from across the country., While others express complete solidarity, may not be willing to diverse themselves of this privilege not minimising the impact. To chide it is a minuscule number among 1700 plus is to belittle response that is growing daily. The reasoning that such drastic action was not seen in isolated and even damning incidents .like Shikh , Gujarat , Balgarpur , Mujazafar riots, emergency, self exile of M.F Hussain, Satanic verses etc is poor justification in comparison as the circumstances are different now., There had been various protests, expression of disgusts in the past.. Kushwant Singh protest and returning honours against Blue star operation is lost and buried in archives of history . Govt. at the centre is concluding it as a direct attack on leadership of BJP Govt. and not against autonomous Sahithya academy, because such spontaneous, response, outrage .was not visible during congress regime involving more serious incidents. Govt is certainly rattled and rocked to its foundations by cascading revolt,, as Minister in abusive language calls it a manufactured, paper rebellion and battle royal between writers and Govt. The abusive remark of cultural Minister is unprecedented that writers may write or not .The intellectuals across the board are emphasizing , cumulative effect of religious and cultural intolerance, freedom of expressions, beef eating, clothes they wear, mobiles ,love jihad , hrough organised violence and intimidation etc ever since the advent of BJP Govt in power at the centre. Delayed arguments that Dadri incident is sad and unfortunate and that BJP is not ruling in the state or such incidents are not occurring in any BJP ruled states, there is neither censorship or book bans are no consolations. Calling it political motivation ,giving every incident a political connotations leading to constant blame games between political parties is tactical diversion. The attempt to stifle the intellectuals and silence them is obvious. Accusing some of having lost leverage and shrunk in importance in new dispensation of power is unreasonable hypothesis. Disrespect and rage against intellectuals in a country is a sad commentary of stooping low , as all types of intellectuals are conscience keepers of the elevated society at large. It is no sin for writers to have political affiliations, and that In no way belittle their contributions. The fringe elements called the underbelly of BJP are encouraged with impunity to carry on their Hindutva agenda, without being censored or punished but are silently sheltered, encouraged, honoured, and condoned. The ghastly killings in Dadri, splashing ink on Kulkarni, killing of Kalburghi, Dabolkar is a continuous attack on freedom of expression and liberty
The revolt is neither a cultural war and cannot be classified narrowly as principles or politics or that intellectual writers are endangered species .The concerted efforts of Hindu Nationalism, Hindu Rashtra as core ideology through primacy of Hindus by insensitive, provocative leaders are fuelling the antagonism of intellectual class of writers , thinkers that has set the BJP on serious notice Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
