Punjabi writers lead nation’s protest against intolerance, curbs on freedom of expression

CHANDIGARH: Half a dozen celebrated Punjabi writers have returned their Sahitya Akademy awards in protest against rising intolerance and curbs of freedom of expression by the BJP led NDA government at center even as eminant writer Sudheendra Kulkarni was today assaulted by Shiv Sainiks at Mumbai.
Those returned their Sahitya Akademy awards included Surjit Patar, Ajmer Aulakh, Atamjit, Gurbachan Singh Bbullar and Waryam Sandhu. Taraksheel Society founder and Punjabi writer Megh Raj Mitter has also returned the Shiromani Likhari award to Punjab Government and added one more reason of anti-farmer policies of the Parkash Singh Badal government in the state. Punjabi writers have responded to call by Association for Democratic rights Punjab to protest against murder of decorated writers MM Kalbargi in Karnatka recently and Narendera Dabholkar in 2013.Bhullar said he was perturbed by the attempts to “disrupt the social fabric of the country”. Born in Bathinda in Punjab Bhullar had been awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for his 2005 book of short stories Agni-Kalas.Sandhu was conferred the award in 2000, Bhullar received it in 2005; Aulakh got it in 2006 and Atamjit in 2009.Among the other national writers who returned their awards included Nayamtara Sehgal, Sara Joseph, Udey Parkash and Ashok Vajpayee.Akademi’s chairperson Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari said,”We wish to emphasise that the Akademi stands for freedom of expression of all writers, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or nationality. “Sahitya Akademi condemns the attack on and murder of any writer or artist anywhere”.