Writers have no other methods to lodge protest: Munawwar Rana

Lucknow: A day after Munawwar Rana announced that he would be returning his Sahitya Akademi award, the renowned Urdu poet on Monday said the writers in the country have not been left with any strong methods to lodge their protest.

"Literatures returning their awards is the extreme form of protest against such incidents," Rana told PTI and added he took the step after following his inner voice.

On the criticism being faced by writers over returning the awards, Rana asked what other way the writers had to lodge their protest.

"At this age we cannot stage dharna, fast or take to streets. Yes we can write, but you have seen what happened to Kalburgi. Hum kalam ke sipahi hain (we are soldiers of the pen), therefore by returning the award given to us in honour of our writing, I consider it to be the strongest opposition," Rana said.

Rana, who was awarded with Sahitya Akademi Award last year for his epic work 'Shahdaba', made an announcement to return the award yesterday during a live TV show, citing disappointment with the "recent developments" in the country as the reason.

"We are with all the literatures who are returning their awards in present circumstances." he said.

He also insisted that there was a need for a serious debate on word the terrorism.

Rana said acts carried out by particular sections of society were categorised as terrorism while acts by others were not termed as terrorism.

"It is obvious that in such circumstances we have to return our rewards and that too with a firm resolve that we will not accept any government recognition in future. We want our generation to follow the suit," he said.

Rana said as a poet and a patriotic Indian, it was his responsibility that the atmosphere of terror should come to an end. "If it does not end, then we should cease to exist. There can be only one thing," he said.