Homen Borgohain to return Sahitya Akademi award

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GUWAHATI, Oct 13: Joining the league of Sahitya Akademi awardees returning their awards in protest against growing intolerance in the country, litterateur and jourlist Homen Borgohain has also decided to return the honour. Writing in a vercular daily, Borgohain said: "There has been a silent protest inside me since the Dadri killing (in Uttar Pradesh). But I failed to find a way to express this. Now after seeing at least 10 Akademi winners returning their awards one after another against the growing religious intolerance, I too felt to have got a way to express my protest." Stating his reasons for taking such a step, he wrote: "However, my symbolic protest to return the Sahitya Akademi award is not only against the Dadri killing, but against the growing fascist tendency in the country and against the evil forces trying to hit hard at the core ideology of Indian civilization and culture.

"Today, I have publicly announced that I am returning the award. However, I am not aware of the process on how to return the award to the Akademi. I'll discuss with the officials of the Akademi to complete the formality of returning the award," he said.

Renowned writer, columnist and jourlist, Homen Borgohain was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978 in Assamese language for his novel 'Pita Putra' (Father Son).

Meanwhile, another Sahitya Akademi Award winner from Assam, Nirupama Borgohain, too is reportedly considering returning the award she had received in 1996 for her novel Abhijatri.

According to the litterateurs returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, free speech and writing is being suppressed in the country. Some of them feel that the recent lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri area on suspicion of eating beef show that a commul atmosphere is being built up.  (IANS)