The cancellation of the invitation to Sahitya Akademi award winning author Nayantara Sahgal to inaugurate the annual Marathi literary meet has created a political storm, with Opposition parties on Monday accusing the State government of engineering her exit, and a number of authors, poets and journalists boycotting the event as a mark of solidarity with Ms. Sahgal.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray expressed regret for his party workers’ opposition to Ms. Sahgal.
Ms. Sahgal was to inaugurate the 92nd edition of the annual Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Yavatmal this week. The local MNS leadership objected to her being invited to a Marathi literary meet, saying that she writes in English. On Sunday, Dr. Ramakant Kolte, executive president of the meet, announced that Ms. Sahgal’s invitation had been cancelled.
We welcome her: Raj
As the MNS came under fire, Mr. Thackeray said in a statement on Monday, “We do not oppose Nayantara Sahgal attending the sammelan. We wholeheartedly welcome her. She must come,” he said. He expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the organisers of the event. “I ask my party workers to not make any statements on such sensitive issues without consulting me.”
The organisers’ decision prompted the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to accuse Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Department, of not providing security. They alleged that the CM had used the MNS to ensure that Ms. Sahgal, who has been critical of the Central government and had initiated the ‘award-wapsi’ movement, did not attend the meet.
“Her invitation was withdrawn fearing criticism of the authoritarian government. There was pressure on organisers from the government as CM was to be present at the inaugural session,” said NCP State president Jayant Patil. State Congress president Ashok Chavan said the political security of the CM was the real reason for cancelling the invitation to Ms. Sahgal.
The Chief Minister’s Office said there had been no interference on its part, and that the issue should not be politicised.
Invitees back out
On Sunday, Ms. Sahgal had said she had sent her speech to the organisers. “They might have cancelled the invitation since they did not like it,” she had said. In the speech, which went viral on Monday, Ms. Sahgal had raised issues such as mob lynching, attacks on freedom of expression, and killings and arrests of authors and activists.
Marathi author Aruna Dhere, who will preside over the literary meet, said, “It is shocking that you respectfully invite someone and later back out. She should be invited with utmost respect.” Laxmikant Deshmukh, the outgoing chairman of the literary meet, said the organisers should have thought before inviting Ms. Sahgal. More than 15 authors, poets and journalists have already announced a boycott of the event.