Award Waapsi by the Write Wing

The return of the awards by the write wing of creative people and intellectuals in India is making every day news today in the print media as well as the television media. The statistics indicate that more than 40 writers and stage personalities have returned the awards given to them by the Sahitya Academy and Sangeet Natak Academy.

Most of them have cited the reasons namely, a) Dadri killing incident of an individual by a mob sparked of by beef eating, b) recent killing of some fellow writers in Karnataka and Maharashtra, 

c) perceived curbing of freedom of speech and expression, and d) inaction by the respective Academies in raising a protest.

With due respect to these so called creative people and intellectuals, I must say that they have shown their "herd mentality" as they all have behaved in a similar fashion by returning the awards, following one writer. They are guilty of not standing out and appearing different among their group mates. Not even one writer or artiste could think differently to raise his or her protest. No one has objected to their protest by imposing any bans.

In this context, I'm reminded of the story of "Cap seller and the Monkeys". I'm sorry to say that these intellectuals have behaved just like the monkeys in the story by throwing the caps down. Just like the monkeys chose not to apply different logic. These creative writers have also chosen not to think differently and apply different logic. I feel very sorry for them.

Several moot points (not mute points) come to my mind :-

1) If one can analyze the incidents of the recent/distant past in India, a) killing of writers in India during UPA regime in the center, b) riots in Muzaffar Nagar, U.P, Assam, and riots against Sikhs in New Delhi c) massacre of Kashmiri Pandits and driving them out of J&K, d) Book bans, e) Film bans, f) banning the entry of authors into India, g) breaking out of scam after scam and corruption scandals during UPA regime perpetrated by the political bosses and their political allies. What were these writers doing at that point of time? Why didn't they protest at that point in time? Why all of them kept eerie silence in the past? It is sad that no clear answer is available to any of these questions.

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. - Abraham Lincoln.

2) Why are these award returnees showing selective outrage and blaming the Central Government instead of the State Governments which are responsible for the law and order in their states. Assam, U.P. and Karnataka are ruled by non-BJP governments. Why these writers are not showing their ire on these State Governments for their failures and instead turning their ire on Central Government?

3) Why these creative intellectual class is highly biased in their views and opinions? Are they not supposed to maintain balance and remain unbiased? Why are they contributing to Pseudo secularism? Pseudo secularism is a failed concept in India. There is no point in pursuing it?

4) Why are they showing disrespect to their respective Academies' when they have been chosen for issue of awards as mark of respect to their contribution in public life and for their creativity and unbiased intellectualism?

5) Is there a cultural change happening in the minds of these intellectuals who have been used to congress led rule of India for nearly six decades and they are unable to adapt and adjust to change towards the present BJP political dispensation? This is an attitude problem.

By their act of returning the awards, by showing selective outrage, by exhibiting biased views and opinions, and by following the herd mentality, the image of all these writers has definitely gone down in the eyes of the common man and general public of India.

Today, India's demography can be categorized into five positions as under:-

1) Extreme Left

2) Left of Center

3) Center

4) Right of Center

5) Extreme Right

At the Center position, there is only a minority of people like the Judiciary, Seasoned Parliamentarians who are Statesmen, Intellectual People with wisdom who are unbiased, Saints and Gurus (the real and not fake ones) and well educated leaders in various fields.

The extreme left and right positions are dominated by the fringe elements present in every group of people who don't speak English but speak their native regional languages, and who are less educated. These fringe elements are swayed by their respective political masters.

The left of center and the right of center are moderate positions which are predominantly occupied by the following classes of people:- Journalists from both print media and television media, the socialites active on social media, the English speaking elite of India, Educated Middle class, Historians, Artistes, and Musicians.  

The politicians have divided the people of India either to the left of center or right of center by using them as their vote banks.

The NDA government at the center has obtained the massive mandate of the people of India and they need to be given time to govern and work for the development of India and improvement of Indian economy. Their performance will be judged by the people of India at the end of five years.

Such acts of award waapsi by the write wing look to me only as a deflection for selfish interests and self-importance and is not going to help anyone including themselves.

The time has now come for building the public opinion. The educated general public cannot remain mute spectators to the various issues and incidents in India. Thanks to the individual freedom of expression and speech granted by the Constitution of India, the educated and informed general public needs to voice its opinion through the social media platform.

Some relevant Quotations:-

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. - Mahatma Gandhi

You 're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or who says it. - Malcolm X.

As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever. - Clarence Darrow