NEW DELHI: A 10-member committee has been appointed by the Sahitya Akade view the rules and procedures governing its awards. This is being done in order to prevent controversy in the future on the Akademi awards.

The appointment of the committee comes after criticism of the Akademi award to the Punjabi book “Jhanan di Raat” written by Harinder Singh. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya president of Sahitya Akademi heads the committee. The review of the Sahitya Akademi rules Jand procedures on awards will be done in light of suggestions made in the Haksar Committee report.

Ina statement Bhattacharyya called on all sections to exercise restraint following the controversy over “Shanan di Raat” and said “The apse is unfortunate.”

Bhattacharyya conceded that he book (Shanan di Raat”) l does contain a controversial poem Neendanda Kata which without naming Indira Gandhi on her assassin casts aspersions  on her and we feel really unhappy about it.” He noted that the Akademi had the highest regard to Indira Gandhi and we would never compromise: with anything which vilifies her name   smacks of anti-national sentiment” but said “it is sad that a work of this magnitude running into some 828 pages should be scarred by a poems impropriety.

He pointed out that 29 experts were involved in the selection of la book in each language and artistic excellence” was “the only consideration.” The final grading rested with the panel of three members and if two panel members out of three gave a particular work a low grading it was not possible for it to win the award The deliberations of the panels were confidential.

On “Shanan di Raat” he clarified “The copies of Harinder Singhs book received by the Akademi had two footnote lines inked out by hand and these erasures obviously gave the poem a general meaning and its full import was Unfortunately missed.”

According to him the role of the Akademi office in the election of a book was “minim restricted to routine checking of the name of the author the title of the book and the printing “The office does not in any way interfere with the process of selection or influence the Judgement of the experts” he asserted.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992