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Rajasthani writer Nand Bhardwaj returns Sahitya Akademi award

by IBNS 14 Oct 2015, 09:37 pm

Jaipur, Oct 15 (IBNS) As the political storm continues over Sahitya Akademi award winners returning their prizes protesting rising intolerance in the country, eminent Rajasthani writer Nand Bhardwaj has joined the band of protesters and returned his award.

He has also returned Rs. 50,000 that he received as cash part of the award.

Bhardwaj, a well known author in Rajasthan, won the award in 2004 for his Rajasthani book "Samhi Khulto Maarag".

In his letter to the secretary of the  Sahitya Akademi, Bhardwaj has expressed anguish that the institution failed to stand by its authors.
"It has been unable to as much as express condolences for the litterateurs, journalists and intellectuals who were murdered," Bhardwaj has written.


More than 15 authors have so far returned the award in protest against incidents like the Dadri lynching and murder of rationalist writer M M Kalburgi.