Maharashtra Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said the ruling dispensation was trying to control the fields of literature and culture.
Khobad Gandhi with his book. (Twitter)
Laxmikant Deshmukh, chairman of the Maharashtra government’s Marathi Language Committee, joined a host of other literary figures as he resigned on Wednesday 14 December, to protest the decision to withdraw an award given to the Marathi language translation of Kobad Ghandy’s memoir.
His resignation follows those of four members of the State Literary Board a day earlier.
The Marathi translation of Ghandy’s book Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir, done by Anagha Lele, was chosen in the best translation category of the Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 on 6 December.
A week later, on 12 December, the state government withdrew the award, which included a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, citing “administrative reasons” — although it is widely believed to be because of the ideology espoused by Ghandy, a communist activist who was jailed for almost 10 years for his Maoist links.
Decrying the state dispensation’s “one-sided” decision, Laxmikant Deshmukh wrote in his resignation letter: “It is the constitutional duty of the government to allow all the citizens, including literary artists, to enjoy the freedom of expression that the Indian Constitution has given them without hindrance and without interference. We regret to say that in the present case, there has been a dereliction of duty on our part.”
Award-winning writers Sharad Baviskar and Anand Karandikar have rejected their own awards due to the cancellation of the award given to Anagha Lele.
The members of the award committee, Pragya Daya Pawar, Neerja, and Heramb Kulkarni, also resigned on Tuesday, following which the government ultimately disbanded the award committee.
Vinod Shirsath, another member of the board who is the editor of a Marathi weekly, too, tendered his resignation as a mark of protest.
On Wednesday, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said the ruling dispensation was trying to control the fields of literature and culture.
He alleged the state government was trying to impose an “undeclared emergency” by scrapping the literary award, which was finalised by a selection committee, for the translation of Ghandy’s memoir.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the Eknath Shinde-led government is interfering in the selection of literary awards. Pawar wondered if the resignation of the selection committee members wasn’t “shameful” for the government.
“Earlier this month, an award was announced for Anagha Lele’s translation of the book by Ghandy. But suddenly the award was withdrawn and the selection panel scrapped.”
“This interference in the work of the committee set up by the State Literature and Culture Board chairperson is wrong and condemnable. Political parties need not interfere in these matters,” the former deputy chief minister said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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