Marathi writer Nanda Khare refuses Sahitya Akademi award, says, there’s “Undeclared emergency in country”
Recalling iconic Hindi poet Muktibodh who also wrote in Marathi besides Hindi, and who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Hindi poetry, Khare said literature is not born in the sky. “Therefore, it is a political act”.
When asked why he has not accepted the highest literary award after Gyanpeeth (Jnanpith) Award in literature, Khare politely said, “I have got what I had to…I received people’s affection, their respect. I have stopped taking awards for the last four years”.
Khare who is considered one of the most prestigious and respected Marathi writers though avoided the word “intolerance” during the conversation, he emphasized that the changes that took place (over the last few years) in society and culture are “dangerous”.
“We have become more uncivilized, uncultured. Earlier it was not so. Despite differences in opinion, ideology people had regards for each other.” In response to “have we become more intolerant ?”, Khare recalled his father who lived in Nagpur, and said, “
He was a good friend of RSS leader Balasaheb Deoras and famous CPI leader AB Bardhan but nobody had problem with that.”
Balasaheb Deoras and Bardhan both were born and brought up in Nagpur where RSS’ headquarter is located.
On the question of India’s down sliding in the parameter of Democracy, and on the current socio-political situation, Nanda who started his career as an engineer commented,
“It seems words remain the same, but the soul of the Constitution has been changed”.
