Vikram Sampath steps down from Bangalore Literature Festival's organising committee

After four writers backed out of the Bangalore Literature Festival over their objections to statements he made, founder director Vikram Sampath has decided to step down from all his responsibilities at the Festival.

Sampath issued a statement on Saturday in which he said that he has become “the target of a personalized campaign” because of his views on the Award Wapsi campaign and on the Tipu Sultan controversy.

Sampath had written in an October article for The Mint newspaper that he doesn’t support the action by writers to return their Sahitya Akademi awards in protest against intolerance because the awards are given by the Akademi, which is autonomous and has nothing to do with the government against whom the writers are protesting. He had also stated that he will not return his Akademi award.

Four writers who took objection to his comments - Dayanand TK, Arif Raja, OL Nagabhushana Swamy and Satchidanandan - backed out of the Festival.

Sampath also said in the statement that during the recent Tipu Sultan controversy, he had a signed a petition, along with other historians and archaeologists, about how it is necessary that “multiple view points and narratives in Indian historiography” are recognised.

“As someone who has researched the history of Mysore for over 15 years, I believe I am entitled to have an intellectual stand point on a matter of historical debate as also to this invaluable gift of freedom of expression that the founding fathers of this great country have fought hard to achieve for us,” he said in the statement.

He stated that he finds it “distressing” that his ”personal freedom of expression is coming in the way of the Festival” and in the interests of the Festival, he has decided to “step away from all responsibility of organising the Festival.” He now hopes that the writers who had backed out of the Festival will reconsider their decision and return to the Festival.