Delhi HC seeks Centre's reply on plea claiming award wapsi 'tarnishing India's image'

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking a direction to frame guidelines that if Sahitya Akademi awardees return their awards, they should also return the prize money and royalties they may have earned through sale of their books. A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also issued notices to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Sahitya Akademi and sought their replies before 15 February on plea which contended that the “action of returning awards has the effect of tarnishing India’s image”. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by advocate Haji Mohammad Majid Qureshi and a religious organisation, which said “the present system whereby writers are allowed to retain royalties earned by them through sale of copies of their books despite returning the award is arbitrary and illogical.” [caption id=“attachment_2557454” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sahitya Akademi. Representational Image. IBNlive[/caption] While mentioning the name of eight persons, including writer Nayantara Sahgal, who have returned their awards recently, the petition sought a direction to the ministry and Sahitya Akademi to frame guidelines with respect to the award instituted by the respondents with retrospective effect. “..So that reasonable remedial action can be taken against such authors who impair the country’s dignity,” the plea said. It further said that this plea was to ensure that strong punitive action is taken against those who return such awards as Sahitya Akademi Puraskar, a solemn token of appreciation conferred upon deserving writers on behalf of the Indian public. Several writers, poets and artists had recently returned their awards protesting against the Akademi’s “silence” on the murder of fellow writer and Sahitya Akademi board member M M Kalburgi as well as against the atmosphere of “intolerance and communalism” in the backdrop of the Dadri lynching incident. PTI