Javed Akhtar is the only Indian to be honoured with the Richard Dawkins Award. (Photo: Express Archive)
National Award-winning lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has won the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award.
Akhtar was honoured with the award for his “critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values,” according to Shabana Azmi’s tweet. “Such marvellous news. Congratulations @Javedakhtarjadu. To win an award from your Hero is the ultimate validation,” she wrote further.
Dia Mirza also took to Twitter to congratulate Javed Akhtar. She tweeted, “Javed Akhtar Saab has won the the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values. He is the only Indian to have won this award! @Javedakhtarjadu Congratulations! You make us proud.”
Javed Akhtar Saab has won the the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values. He is the only Indian to have won this award! @Javedakhtarjadu Congratulations! You make us proud.
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) June 7, 2020
Other celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Nikhil Advani and Urmila Matondkar also took to Twitter to congratulate the veteran poet.
Knowing that Richard Dawkins has been your hero since you read ‘The Selfish Gene’, the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award must be extra special for you @Javedakhtarjadu Saab! It’s a truly incredible honour! Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/J5EXqP2I8g
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) June 7, 2020
Congratulations @Javedakhtarjadu for standing tall in the face of injustice and adversity. You are shining example to us all. 👏👏👏 #RichardDawkinsAward @AzmiShabana
— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) June 7, 2020
Congratulations @Javedakhtarjadu ❤️
— Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) June 7, 2020
The Richard Dawkins Award, which is named after the celebrated biologist, seeks to recognise individuals who “publicly proclaim the values of secularism, rationalism, upholding scientific truth”. Other famous awardees include Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry and Bill Maher.
Javed Akhtar, who is a leading figure in Indian cinema, has lent his support to various social causes. He has also never shied away from expressing his views on issues like CAA, islamophobia among more.