Raghunandana lauded for declining Sangeet Natak Akademi award for 2018

The Indian Writers Forum in a statement applauded theatre artist S. Raghunandana for his decision to decline the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for 2018 as a protest against culture of intolerance and hatred “promoted” by the ruling party.

In a statement signed by writers K. Satchidanandan, Keki Daruwalla, Ganesh Devy, Ashok Vajpeyi, Nayantara Sahgal and Githa Hariharan, the forum said that the “tide of protest” is continuing. “We salute theatre artist Raghunandana and express our solidarity with his decision,” the statement read.

Mr. Raghunandana in an open letter to the Akademi rejecting the award cited, “mob lynching in the name of God and religion” and “throttling the voices of conscientious intellectuals and activists,” as reasons for declining the award. He said he could “not accept this award when such injustice was being done to these

dharmamargis in my country in the name of the country.”