Forty artists and writers have returned their awards to protest against “recent mishappenings against the writers” and the Sahitya Akademi has requested them to reconsider their decision, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
In response to a question on many literary writers returning awards, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said in his written response that “the return of the awards is stated to be in protest against the recent mishappenings against the writers, etc.”
According to the reply, 39 writers have returned their awards to the >Sahitya Akademi while one artist has returned his award to the Lalit Kala Akademi.
Several writers, poets and artists had recently returned their awards protesting against the Akademi’s silence on the murder of fellow writer M.M. Kalburgi as well as against the “communal” atmosphere in the backdrop of the Dadri lynching incident.
