Sahitya Akademi - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

1)   Which author(s) have returned their Sahitya Akademi award as a mark of protest on 11th October 2015 against the rising intolerance and communal atmosphere in the country?

a. Ganesh Devy
b. Aman Sethi
c. Kum Veerabhadrappa
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Gujarati author Ganesh Devy and 5 other noted writers decided to return their Sahitya Akademi awards on 11th October 2015 while Kannada writer Aravind Malagatti resigned from the body's general council. The writers returned the award as a mark of protest against rising intolerance and communal atmosphere following the murder of rationalists and the Dadri lynching episode. Delhi based Aman Sethi, Kannada writer Kum Veerabhadrappa, writers from Punjab, Gurbachan Bhullar, Ajmer Singh Aulakh and Atamjit Singh, also announced that they were returning their Sahitya Akademi awards.


2)   Which eminent Malayalam literary figure(s) have announced protest against murder of well known rationalists and the Dadri lynching incident?

a. Sarah Joseph
b. K Satchidanandan
c. P. K. Parakkadavu
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Well known Malayalam writer Sarah Joseph has announced that she will be returning the Sahitya Akademi award to protest against rising intolerance and murder of rationalists as well as Dadri lynching incident. Malayalam poet K. Satchidanandan has taken the decision to quit all Akademi posts in protest of the murder of rationalist M. M. Kalburgi. Another short story writer P K Parakkadavu also said he will quit the Akademi membership. Joseph won the award for her novel
Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God the Father). Three writers have been murdered and K. S. Bhagwan is also facing threats from communal forces, Joseph said.Satchidanandan was serving in the General Council, Executive Board and Financial Committee of the Akademi. Earlier, eminent writer Nayantara Sehgal and ex Lalit Kala Akademi chairperson Ashok Vajpeyi also returned their awards to protest the growing intolerance in the nation. The first literary figure to return his award to protest the murder of Kalburgi was well known Hindi writer Uday Prakash.