Srinagar, Apr 28, KDC: The writers, poets, and literary activists here in Jammu and Kashmir are up in arms against the Sahitya Akademi accusing the administration of the premier institute of promoting a few ‘preferred persons’ from the union territory.
Fumed over the improper policies of the Akademi, enraged literati accused the Akademi administration of promoting few ‘chosen’ individuals who have ambiguous credentials. They said that the surprising part of the Akdemi affairs came to the fore when a tainted person booked under a criminal case of obscenity was ‘selected’ as convener for the Kashmiri Language.
“A favorite group of Akademi managed to select a tainted individual as the convener for Kashmir language, just to reap the harvest for their nears and dears” alleged a writer, adding “How can a person booked under a criminal case of obscenity can be a convener representing a premier institute”
It has come to the notice that a veterinary assistant turned university teacher is running the Kashmir literary affairs from Sahitya Akademi from last more than two decades without contributing anything good to the literary scene, alleged poets and writers.
Referring to the name of Mirza Muhammad Zaman Azrudah, writers told news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that Zaman Azrudah is representing the Kashmiri language in Sahitya Akademi for the last more than two decades in different positions.
“Is there only one man who learned about the Kashmiri literature and language being nurtured by Akademi?” they said, adding “few persons are rotating their positions from last twenty years with the support of Zaman Azrudah, thus deteriorating the literary habitat of the UT”
The Akadmi Constitution reads that no person can be assigned any position in the Akadmi if a person has once served the executive, general, or advisory board but the Akademi has included two individuals in the advisory who have served earlier once.
Accusing Sahitiya Akademi of paying deaf ears to the repeated representation submitted from the UT of JK, writers said that it seems the higher-ups in Sahitiya Akademi are getting benefits for the group of their ‘pet gang’ serving them for the last twenty years without paying any heed to the representation Akadmi is receiving from the genuine writers and poets time in and out.
“We have submitted representation whenever we feel exploitation and scandals on the part of the Akadmi ‘gang’ representing Kashmir, but nobody pays any heed,” writers said.
“It seems that Academy administration is getting benefits from a group they are repeatedly selecting for the position which otherwise demands proper procedure of selection”.
The aggrieved writers appealed to Prime Minister Narender Modi and Chairman Sahitya Akademi of intervention before the situation turns ugly.
Meanwhile, Shaad Ramzan, who was selected as the Convenor of Sahitya Academy in March 11, denied all the allegations and said there is proper procedure for selection, which was followed by the Academy as well as the government. (KDC)
