by Dr. Satyavan Saurabh
Literature is the mirror of any country and society. The literary academies there work to keep this mirror clean. But guess what will happen? When the mirror of the country or state is not functioning properly, it is natural to raise questions about the government there. Yes, something similar is happening in the literary academies of the states of the country. The President of the Sahitya Academy of any state is the Chief Minister of the state. If the institution of which the Chief Minister is the head does not function properly, then you can imagine the condition of other institutions.
Today we see that most of the people who get awards on the stage of literary and art academies are not even known to anyone. Today there is indeed more politics in literature and arts than there is in politics. Premchand had called literature a torch that burns before politics. But across the country today literature is following the politicians. The decline of literature, culture, and language in the last decades will have an impact on future generations. But who cares? The annual activities of the State Academy Awards are questionable. The work which should be completed in one year is taking years to complete. The evaluation process for awards is not clear and timely. For example, the annual results of Haryana Sahitya Academy are about to be declared at the end of the year, but it has not been announced yet. Nor has the form for the coming year been released. What games are played inside an academy? Due to a lack of transparency, no one comes to know.
However, no award or honor can be a measure of excellence. In the Hindi language, important poets-writers like Nirala, Muktibodh, Phanishwarnath Renu, Dharamveer Bharti, Rajendra Yadav, and Asghar Wajahat were not given the Sahitya Akademi Award and many such writers, who have long been forgotten, were awarded. This should be considered and the award process should be made more transparent. Today, the way some worthy and ineligible litterateurs, poets, writers, and artists are adopting the same-price-punishment-discrimination to receive honors and awards and are almost succeeding in their efforts, the selection of honors and awards has changed. It is natural to question the credibility and transparency of the process. Literature cannot do any good in the race for awards.
Losing in the race for awards,
Have forgotten true creation.
Senior writer of writing,
They make false earnings.
Tilak should be applied on the forehead,
And even if there is defeat around the neck.
These writers became great.
Today many organizations are working in the world of literature and art. When I see the working style of these organizations or read any report related to their functions, only one truth comes to the fore. And the truth is that organizations of a particular field or a particular ideology are moving forward by making agreements among themselves. This agreement is such that you will honor us and we will honor you. This trend continues continuously and makes headlines in newspapers and social media. Especially they share such news among themselves. The common reader has nothing much to do with it. Now let’s talk about government institutions and awards. Their truth is not hidden from anyone. The stronger the stick, the bigger the medal. It is not known who will get this award as it passes through the intersections of recommendations. No applicant knows. Their monkey business is already well known. Serious allegations are being made across the country regarding the credibility of such awards. The true creator is rarely falling prey to them.
Now I have gone to the margins,
A true hardworking creator.
Adding color to politics,
These contractors of literature.
Sell pens for pennies,
How can there be literary salvation?
These writers became great.
Now the time has come that all the state academies of the country should be made truly autonomous like the Central Sahitya Academy and their work should be completely handed over to the litterateurs and artists. Emphasis will be laid on making the progress of the annual work of any academy timely and completely transparent so that true litterateurs continue to have faith in them.
For example, the announcement of the annual awards of Haryana Hindi Sahitya Academy, which the litterateurs of the state eagerly wait for, the results for the year 2022 have not been released yet even in 2024. From this, you can guess how much those who show the mirror to society are sleeping. Haryana Hindi Sahitya Akademi gives more than 12 literary awards every year in which the prize money ranges from one lakh to seven lakhs and an amount of Rs 31,000 each is given as an honor in fifteen to sixteen genres under the best work. Apart from these awards, it selects the best manuscripts of the year and provides them with publication grants. But like the government recruitments in Haryana, it is also very sad that the results which were to be declared in August; were not announced even after January of the next year, nor was the form for the year 2023 released in which writers have to apply for the coming year; Why after all?
It is expected that the state governments will investigate the current controversial actions of the academies and appoint deserving and talented writers and artists to the academies. So that language, literature, and culture continue to create new dimensions across the country.
Author is a freelance columnist. He can be mailed at satywansaurabh333@gmail.com
