By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
The family of Tamil poet Inquilab, born as Shahul Hameed, has rejected the Sahitya Akademi award awarded to him just yesterday by the Sahitya Akademi.
Inquilab’s family has written a letter to the secretary of Sahitya Akademi and stated that Inquilab was a people’s poet and did not write expecting awards and felicitations. “…instead I foresee oppositions, condemnations, and repulsion,” read the letter written on behalf of Tamil Poet.
“Interrogations on and off are the gifts. This government has given me, that’s only a start…. Beyond that When my pen presses I am sure I will be gifted with Something no writer has ever been given on this Indian soil,” read his letter.
“My father was not running behind any award. He wrote expecting action by authorities against him and not expecting any award. He had told us that he will decline the Sahitya Akademi award if he was given one,” his son S. Inquilab informed the media on Thursday.
Inquilab’s poem had become a sort of anthem for Dalit forum meetings, especially ‘Manushangada Naanga Manushangada’ (we are humans). Inquilab’s writing, which condemned torching of 44 alive agricultural labourers in 1968 in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, continues to be regarded as a celebrated piece of literature in the state.
The letter from the Inquilab’s son further added that Inquilab had faced a lot of such interrogations during his lifetime. That did not stop even after his death.
“Today, there is a major spurt of violence, classism, communalism and oppression,” read the letter to the literary body. “The persons who criticize and question the powers-that-be are executed in broad daylight, It will be a betrayal to Inquilab’s writings and the life lead by him, to accept this award.”
Inquilab’s family has said that the face of the government may change but the mask they wear doesn’t.
Inquilab – who was guided by the Marxist Leninist thoughts – passed away last year in December at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. Inquilab was born as Shahul Hameed in Keezhakarai in Ramanathapuram district. He was reportedly associated with the Vaanampadi poetry movement and strongly expressed his views over caste discrimination in the Indian society.
This is not the first time when Sahitya Akademi award landed in the controversy. Several writers and scholars returned their Sahitya Akademi awards in 2015 accusing the central government of keeping silence on growing intolerance in the country.
Inquilab’s son told IANS that the late poet had returned the Kalaimamani Award given by the Tamil Nadu government to protest against the state government’s alleged failure to protect Sri Lankan Tamils.
(With inputs from IANS)