Sudhir Sukta: Cops record statements of Konkani writers

Ponda: Following a complaint lodged by women's NGO, 'Bailancho Ekvott', Ponda police are registering statements of several writers. The police have registered the statement of a jury member of the panel appointed to shortlist winners of the Goa Konkani Akademi literary awards. Statements of a Ponda-based poet and a poetess have also been recorded.

Auda Viegas, president of the NGO, lodged an FIR against the poet and former BJP MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh and the publishing company, 'Apurbai Prakashan' last Tuesday.

Several Konkani literati gathered at the house of N Shivdas at Farmagudi, Ponda, recently, and condemned the state government's decision to cancel all undeclared literary awards by the Goa Konkani Academi owing to the controversy surrounding Wagh's book. They have described it as "murder of democracy" by the government.

Shivdas, former president of the academy, said the academy is an autonomous body having some government officials on its council and thus scrapping of the awards was an act of cowardice.

"The academy has its own constitution and the state government does not come into the picture unless the council of the academy asks for it. Stepping on powers of the academy means the killing of democratic procedures laid down in the constitution of the academy," Shivdas said.

'Sudhir Sukta', a compilation of Konkani poems by the former MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh was published in 2013.

The book stirred up controversy after it was selected for a literary award instituted by the Akademi.

The controversy began after a jury member, of a panel appointed to shortlist winners of the state Goa Konkani Akademi literary awards, protested against the shortlisting of the book claiming it was vulgar and targeted a particular community.

Last week, the state government scrapped the literary awards for the years—2014-15 and 2015-16—due to objections "over the procedure of shortlisting of books for the awards" and controversy over the book.