Source : The Hindu
But deceased poet’s family refuses to accept honour, saying it’s against his principles
Poet and dramatist Inquilab has been selected posthumously for the Sahitya Akademi award for 2017. But his family has declined the award, saying he did not write expecting awards and felicitations.
“Instead, I foresee oppositions, condemnations and repulsions,” his daughter Amina Bharvin said quoting him in a letter to Sahitya Akademi secretary.
Inquilab, who taught Tamil in New College, Chennai, was a Marxist-Leninist and a strong advocate of Tamil nationalism. He died on December 1, 2016. His daughter said that Inquilab had refused to accept any awards by the government during his lifetime.
“The face of the governments may change, but they all wear the same mask,” said Ms. Amina, who is also the trustee of the Inquilab Trust. Stating that Inquilab was the voice of the voiceless, oppressed, underprivileged and backward people, she said recognition for a person like him was to remain a people’s poet.
Government’s ‘gift’
Recalling the late poet’s take on awards, she quoted him saying that “Interrogations on and off are the gifts this government has given me.”
“My father had faced lot of interrogations during his lifetime. That did not stop even after his death. Today, there is a major spurt of violence, communalism and oppression. People who criticise and question the powers-that-be are executed in broad daylight, It will be a betrayal of Inquilab’s writings and his life if we were to accept this award,” Ms. Amina, explained in the letter sent on behalf of her family.
Asked about the award, theatre personality Mangai, who had worked with Inquilab and directed his plays, said the award should have been given to him when he was alive.
“He might have accepted or rejected it. But we know his name was in the list of writers considered for the award many times.
“He was rejected on the ground that he always stood by people and articulated their opinion in his writings,” she said.
