New Delhi

On the heels of similar comments by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh today questioned the “motive” of writers returning their awards in protest, asking why had they not done so over violence against Kashmiri Pandits or the anti-Sikh riots.

“Why did they tolerate the targeting of Kashmiri Pandits and maintained silence when they were forced to flee Kashmir Valley and live like refugees in their own country. Why did they remain silent when more than 3,000 Sikhs were butchered in Delhi,” he said.

It is painful that these “secularists” did not rise up in situations when human rights were abused by people who do not believe in the unity and integrity of India, the BJP leader said.

Some “isolated incidents” in a few states cannot be termed “intolerance” in the society, he said.

The state governments have to tackle such incidents and returning awards as a mark of protest against Union government is nothing but a political gimmick, he charged.

Several writers and litterateurs have returned their government-conferred awards claiming rising “intolerance” in society.

At least 25 authors have decided to return their Sahitya Akademi awards and five writers have stepped down from official positions of the literary body, so far.

Union Minister had yesterday said he suspected the motives of the writers in going for such “not called for” action.

“If you go back to the people who have done this and if we explore their motives and what has been their background, I think something revealing will come out,” Sharma had said.

Can’t stop one’s views, but returning award wrong move: Sharma

New Delhi

Under attack over his reported remarks that writers returning their Akademi awards “should stop writing”, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma today sought to clarify that he cannot stop anybody from airing one’s views, though he insisted that returning awards was a “wrong” move.

“I did not say that they should stop writing. How can I stop anybody from expressing his views. We are with them in condemning the murders — be it of writers like M M Kalburgi or the killing at Dadri. Nobody is saying that anyone’s murder is justified. This is a law and order problem.

“We are with them in condemning it. Action should be taken against whoever is guilty,” the minister said.

“Our request is that this is not a subject on which they should resign. In my opinion, it does not serve the purpose.

Returning awards for this reason is wrong. The Akademi, which has given them awards is an institution of authors and they have been given the award for their work. But what can we do if you want to return awards in protest,” Sharma told reporters.

The Union minister came under sharp attack from Ashok Vajpeyi, one of the eminent writers returning his Sahitya Akademi awards.

A few days back, Vajpeyi had attacked Sharma, saying he “belittled” the multi-cultural and multi-religious fabric of the country. The writer had also reportedly criticised him saying “the culture minister lacks culture”.

Avoiding an exchange of barbs, Sharma said, “It is his culture. I have already told that writers are the pride of India. (If he had said like that) then it is his culture,” Sharma said.

Asked about eminent writers returning their awards citing ‘rising intolerance’ in the country, Sharma said that they should have taken up the issue with the Home Ministers of Centre and State Governments, instead of returning their Sahitya Akademi awards.

Refusing to respond to the criticisms of Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie, who extended his support to the writers, the Union Culture minister said that his ministry has nothing to do with it.

“Well I think he has addressed it to the government and it will react at the right time. Let the government or our spokesperson will give their comments on this…

“I am a Minister and if he puts a direct question to the Culture Ministry, I will respond to it. Who is opposing his right to support or not to support. Let him support. It is a democratic country. Salman Rushdie has given his support to a group of people. Let him give. Our ministry has nothing to make comment on it,” he said.

Congress today attacked Sharma dubbing him “arrogance personified” for making light of writers returning their awards.

RSS assails writers renouncing honours

New Delhi

RSS has come down heavily on litterateurs suffering from “disease of secularism” returning their “medals”, saying they had no problem in accepting the honours from those “guilty of anti-Sikh riots”.

It said nothing but the “Nehruvian model” was acceptable to these secular “pen artistes”.

“Some pen artists afflicted with the disease of secularism have returned their medals to protest attempts at distorting Hindu religion and destroying India. No matter which government the country wants, nothing but the Nehruvian model is acceptable to them.

“These intellectuals were not hurt when they accepted the honours from those guilty of anti-Sikh riots,” an editorial in RSS mouthpiece ‘Panchjanya’ said.

Noting that the “secular definition” of minorities is limited to “just one group”, it said,”They (these writers) did not utter a word on Hindus displaced from Kashmir because in their view Hindus do not have any human rights.”

The editorial claimed Jawaharlal Nehru had in 1938 written to Muhammad Ali Jinnah acknowledging cow slaughter as the “fundamental right” of Muslims.

“Nehru promised to allow cow slaughter if Congress ruled the country. Not only that, he said he would quit even prime ministership to allow cow slaughter to happen,” it said.

“But now, after the rule has changed, they (the writers) are unable to tolerate it. These intolerant intellectuals have made known their restlessness. They are restless because the ‘chair’ has gone, it hurts them,” it said.

PTI