Lok Sabha Question No. 500 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Returning of Awards
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 500 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017

## RETURNING OF AWARDS

## 500: SHRI OM BIRLA:

Will the Minister of Culture be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  many  renowned  literary  writers had returned awards given to them for their exemplary work in the field of literature;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the names of the writers who returned their Sahitya Academy awards during the last three years;
- (c) the total  number of Sahitya Academy awards dispersed during the last three years;
- (d) whether  the  Academy  had  passed  a  resolution  urging  writers  not  to return their awards; and
- (e) the number of writers who reconsidered the Government's request and accepted back the awards they returned?

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE & TOURISM (Dr. MAHESH SHARMA)

## ANSWER

- (a)&(b): Yes,  Madam.  The  list  of  writers  who  have  returned  their  Sahitya Akademi  awards  during  the last three years is enclosed at Annexure. The  writers claimed  that  there  was  an  attack  on  their freedom of expression and the Akademi kept silent on the issue.
- (c): During the last three years, Sahitya Akademi has dispersed a total of 280 awards.
- (d): Yes, Madam. The Akademi had convened a special Executive Board meeting  on  23.10.2015  and  17.12.2015  in  which  Resolution  had been passed requesting the writers to reconsider their decision.
- (e): Sri  Nand  Bhardwaj,  noted  Rajasthani  writer  has  taken  back  his decision of returning the award.

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## SAHITYA AKADEMI NEW DELHI

## The following award winners returned the Sahitya Akademi Awards to the Akademi during the last three years:

| S.No       | Name                |
|------------|---------------------|
| 1          | Uday Prakash        |
| 2          | Ashok Vajpeyi       |
| 3          | Krishna Sobti       |
| 4          | Mangalesh Dabral    |
| 5          | Kashinath Singh     |
| 6          | Rajesh Joshi        |
| ENGLISH    | ENGLISH             |
| 7          | G.N. Devy           |
| 8          | Nayantara Sahgal    |
| 9          | Keki Daruwalla      |
| GUJRATI    | GUJRATI             |
| 10         | Anil Joshi          |
| PUNJABI    | PUNJABI             |
| 11         | Waryam Singh Sandhu |
| 12         | Surjit Patar        |
| 13         | Jaswinder           |
| 14         | Gurbachan Bhullar   |
| 15         | Atamjit             |
| 16         | Baldev Singh        |
| 17         | Darshan Butter      |
| 18         | Ajmer Singh Aulakh  |
| 19         | Mohan Bhandari      |
| RAJASTHANI | RAJASTHANI          |
| 20         | Nand Bhardwaj       |
| 21         | Ambikadutt          |
| KANNADA    | KANNADA             |
| 22         | Kum Veerbhadrappa   |
| 23         | Rahamat Tarikere    |
| 24         | Devanuru Mahadeva   |
| KASHMIRI   | KASHMIRI            |
| 25         | Ghulam Nabi Khayal  |
| 26         | Margoob Banihali    |
| URDU       | URDU                |
| 27         | Munawwar Rana       |
| 28         | Khaleel Mamoon      |
| MALAYAM    | MALAYAM             |
| 29         | Sara Joseph         |

| ASSAMESE             | ASSAMESE             |
|----------------------|----------------------|
| 30                   | Homen Borgohain      |
| 31                   | Nirupama Borgohain   |
| TELUGU               | TELUGU               |
| 32                   | Katyayani Vidmahe    |
| Translation Prize    |                      |
| HINDI                | HINDI                |
| 33                   | Chaman Lal           |
| Kannada              |                      |
| 34                   | G.N. Ranganatha Rao  |
| MARATHI              |                      |
| 35                   | Ibrahim Afghan       |
| YUVA PURASKAR        | YUVA PURASKAR        |
| ENGLISH              | ENGLISH              |
| 36                   | Aman Sethi           |
| PUNJABI              |                      |
| 37                   | Pargat Singh Satauj  |
| BAL SAHITYA PURASKAR | BAL SAHITYA PURASKAR |
| TELUGU               |                      |
| 38                   | M. Bhoopal Reddy     |
| GOLDEN JUBILEE AWARD | GOLDEN JUBILEE AWARD |
| 39                   | Mandakranta Sen      |