‘Awards-on- condition’ is in line with govt’s bid to close all modes of protest
The recommendation made by a parliamentary panel that recipients of akademi awards should undertake that they would not return their awards in protest at a future date is absurd and wrongly conceived. The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has said in a report that the awardees should not return their awards because “such inappropriate incidents…undermine the achievements of other awardees and impact the prestige and reputation of the awards”. It wants “prior concurrence of shortlisted candidates before finalisation”, with an undertaking that they would not return the award to make a political protest. The recommendation shows that the panel does not understand the nature and function of akademis and the purpose of awards and, importantly, has no idea of the rights and responsibilities of awardees as citizens and representatives of society.
Akademis like Sahitya Akademi are not government bodies. They are autonomous and are not expected to be political bodies affiliated to the government. But they have become political bodies because of the way they are constituted and expected to function by the government. The reason for the panel’s recommendation is the return of their awards by 39 writers in 2015 in protest against the killing of Kannada writer M M Kalburgi, allegedly by right-wing activists. Their action had embarrassed the government and the panel’s recommendation is intended to avoid such embarrassment in the future. But an akademi award is not a government favour bestowed on an individual. It is essentially a recognition of the awardee’s merit by other writers who are collectively represented by the akademi. The government does not have the right to attach any conditions to it. An akademi would be demeaning its own award if it tagged a condition to it.
Also Read | 2015 in mind, panel seeks to halt future 'award wapsi'
A person who gets an award has the right to return it as a mark of protest. Protests are an expression of the right to freedom of speech and expression and so the no-return condition amounts to denying the right to protest and is thus unconstitutional. The government would be politicising the award and the functioning of akademis if it insists on such a condition. The panel gives three reasons for its recommendation: one, akademis are apolitical organisations; two, political issues are outside the ambit of culture; and three, 'Award Wapsi' brings disgrace to the country. An apolitical award does not take away the political rights of the awardee. Art and culture and politics cannot be divorced, either. Returning an award in protest does not disgrace the country, though it may cause discomfort to the government of the day. No self-respecting person would accept such a condition and accept an award. It is independent persons who criticise and protest against wrongs and injustices that make the country’s culture healthy and vibrant, not those who sign on the government’s contracts of obedience.
"Idea" - Google News
August 01, 2023 at 05:26AM
https://ift.tt/ecdMQjF
An undemocratic, absurd idea - Deccan Herald
"Idea" - Google News
https://ift.tt/i1eFZLE
https://ift.tt/pRYUSbx
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "An undemocratic, absurd idea - Deccan Herald"
Post a Comment