http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=PM-statement-too-late-evasive-and-wishy-washy-15102015018038
Oct 15 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) PM statement too late, evasive and wishy-washy, say authors TIMES NEWS NETWORK galaxy of writers on A Wednesday gave a thumbs down to PM Modi's statement on the Dadri lynching and the cancellation of Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's concerts, even as six litterateurs from Maharashtra joined the band of agitating authors by returning their awards. Marathi poet Sambhaji Bhagat returned his best lyricist state award. He was joined by five authors from Pune--Gaus Sayyad, Mukund Kule, Ibrahim Afghan, Shahir Sambhaji Bhagat and Urmila Pawar. Jawaharlal Nehru's niece Nayantara Sahgal, whose returning of the Sahitya Akademi award on October 6 triggered the deluge of protests, said Modi's statement had “come too late“. Disagreeing with Modi's assertion that Dadri lynching was a law and order issue for which Centre should not be held responsible, she told TOI: “The PM is missing the point. The issue for which I and other writers have raised their voices is about the increasing atmosphere of intolerance that is pervading the country today in which no writer, or anybody who wants to voice their opinion, can feel safe.“ She also issued a statement referring to Mahatma Gandhi's famous bhajan `Vaishnav jan toh tene kahiye' written in Gujarati and said being a Gujarati, PM should understand the essence of the bhajan. “...what should not change is the idea of India. This country be longs to every Indian and not just to the Hindus.“ Hours after PM's statement, over 100 luminaries from Bengal signed on a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, saying: “We feel scared and helpless over the growing atmosphere of killing and hatred in the country . The government's inaction in this regard is unpardonable.“ Poets Sankha Ghosh and Nirendranath Chakrabarty , columnist Ashok Mitra, writers Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay , Samaresh Majumdar and Nabaneeta Dev Sen and thespian Rudra prasad Sengupta are among the signatories. Shashi Deshpande, who Shashi Deshpande, who resigned from Sahitya Akademi's general council last week protesting PM's silence over Kannada author M M Kalburgi's murder, called PM's statement `wishy washy' and `evasive' and said: “Politicians are good at using certain words and making them mean nothing, and I'd say this was an example. `Unfortunate' is a word you may use for somebody tripping and falling on the pavement, not for incidents of this or der.“ Columnist Anil Dharker said: “... for the Prime Minister to call the (Dadri) incident `unfortunate' is a less-than-mild word... Why not call the incident `intolerable' and take stern actions against it?“ Sarah Joseph, who returned her Sahitya Akademi award last week, said the PM “must walk the talk“ and take action against those responsible for the killing of Prof Kalburgi in Dharwar and Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri as well as against those who poured ink on Sudheendra Kulkarni. Paul Zacharia said PM's statement came too late and “seemed to be a forced one“. Marathi poet Sambhaji Bhagat also agreed with this view and said: “I don't expect much from him. The right wing forces are ruling the country and my hope lies with the sensitive crowd.“ Another Marathi poet Daya Pawar , who returned her awards and cash prize to the state government said: “We Ambedkarites have always revolted against a system that is wrong. Is the Prime Minister willing to meet us writers? What about the common people? Before the Dadri lynching episode, many such incidents have occurred. Is he doing anything to lend them protection? I think his words would have greater impact if he acted on his words.“ Kannada author Chandrashekhar Patil, who returned the state Pampa Award days after his friend Kalburgi was killed, called the statement a `sad comment' that did not suit Modi's stature. For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com Modi stand mild, very strange: Nagarkar New Delhi: A host of eminent writers on Wednesday expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Dadri lynching and ink attack by Shiv Sena activists on Sudheendra Kulkarni, terming it as “far too weak“. Mridula Garg, a Sahitya Akademi awardee, called it “statement of a weak PM and nothing can be worse than that“. Iconic author Kiran Nagarkar, also a recipient of Sahitya Akademi award, found the PM's statement “mild and very strange“. “He (the PM) gets worked up on other matters,“ he said.Writer Udaya Prakash, who returned his Sahitya Akademi award n the wake of the Dadri lynching said he couldn't fathom why the “vociferous PM“, who is always trying to directly relate to the people, is “passing the buck to the state government(s)“. TNN -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
