Sahitya Akademi's dilemma: What to do with returned awards?

Not too long ago they were at the centre of a high decibel war of words between writers and the present ruling dispensation over rising incidence of "intolerance" and "hate crimes". Today the Sahitya Akademi awards, the plaques that 13 of the awardees had sent back as a token of their protest, lie locked up in a steel cupboard inside the office of its secretary K Sreenivasarao.

A standard government stationer file inside contains another 35 cheques that the authors had returned. These range in value from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5,000 depending on how far back the awards had been given and are kept pinned carefully with the angry letters, or print-outs of emails that their senders had prefixed them with. Issued in October, it's already over a month into their three-month validity.

The irony is that the Akademi has no idea what to do with them. "There is no provision in our constitution of taking back awards," says Sreenivasarao. At its specially convened executive board meeting on October 23, the Akademi had asked those who had returned the awards "to reconsider their decisions". "We have not heard from any one," says Sreenivasarao.

The controversy was sparked off on October 6 by author Nayantara Sahgal who referred to Mohammed Akhlaq's lynching in Dadri and the murders of Kannada litterateur MM Kalburgi in September as her reasons for returning the award. Through October, writers all over the country returned their Akademi awards, even as teachers, scientists, artists, filmmakers, etc –the number by now has crossed 500 – came out in their support and made angry statements in the media.

In all, 39 authors wrote to the Akademi to inform them that they were returning their awards – of these 35 have sent back their cheques and 13 their plaques. Most were sent by post or private courier, and show evidence of not-too-gentle handling. The copper sheet fixed on the plaque given to Malayalam writer Sarah Jacob who returned her award on October 10, for instance, has come loose.

The Akademi's executive board, its highest decision making collective, meets again on December 17, a scheduled one this time, and Sreenivasarao says the issue will be taken up again – among other decisions like this year's Akademi award winners. But will the protesting authors take back their awards?

Not in good shape
In all, 39 authors wrote to the Akademi to inform them that they were returning their awards – of these 35 have sent back their cheques and 13 their plaques. Most were sent by post or private courier, and show evidence of not-too-gentle handling. The copper sheet fixed on the plaque given to Malayalam writer Sarah Jacob who returned her award on October 10, for instance, has come loose.