Noted writer C. Radhakrishnan has resigned as the eminent member of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi in protest against the inauguration of this year’s annual festival by a Union Minister, whom he alleged lacked any literary credential.
His resignation was in protest against the inauguration of the 39th edition of ‘Sahityotsav: The Festival of Letters’ by Union Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal on March 11.
In his resignation letter sent to the Secretary of the Akademi on April 1, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that the festival brochure had not carried the Minister’s or anybody’s name. It described the event as the ‘Inauguration of the Akademi Exhibition’ without mentioning the name of the inaugurator. The programme detail with his name was later issued as a special invite card. “Strange that the Akademi wanted this person so badly that it waited till it became clear that the declaration of the general elections would not make the Akademi out of bounds for him,” he said.
