Goa Konkani Akademi Rejects Sahitya Akademi Award Winner’s Book

State Akademi has rejected the purchase and circulation of a book ‘The Words’ by Akademi Award, winner Khandekar

Neelba Khandekar, Goa Poet

(Photo Courtesy: Kavita Trust)

The Goa Konkani Akademi, a state government body, has rejected the purchase and circulation of a book of poems titled ‘The Words’ by Konkani poet and Sahitya Akademi Award, 2019, winner Neelba Khandekar.

A three-member committee of the Goa Konkani Akademi, formed in August 2018, had approved 64 books and Khandekar’s was one of them, from various authors and poets, to be purchased and circulated officially. A purchase order was issued on 19 January 2019 for 90 copies of Khandekar’s ‘The Words’. But the Executive Committee of the Goa Konkani Akademi eventually cancelled the order, reports The Indian Express.

Neelba Khandekar told The Indian Express that he has been informed by the authorities in the Akademi that Sneha Morajkar, the then acting President cancelled the order and cited the content of the book as ‘objectionable and obscene’.

Khandekar, further mentioned that the content that was found to be objectionable were two words ‘yoni and thann’ (vagina and breasts in Konkani). These appeared in his poem ‘Gangrape’- this comes seventh in the anthology of 43 poems and it won the Sahitya Akademi Award, as reported by The Indian Express.

Sahitya Akademi Award, 2019 Described Khandekar’s Poem ‘A Piece of Art’

Though the jury members of the Sahitya Akademi Award, 2019 described the poem “a piece of art”, and the “strongest piece of work”, but the state Akademi was of a different opinion, the state Akademi raised objections and refused to endorse the book on the grounds of usage of “objectionable words’.

Khandekar who is a retired upper-division clerk from the Indian Navy, is now busy filing RTIs and he has been traveling between Margao and Panjim, seeking answers to why those two words were considered objectionable.

Khandekar told The Indian Express that he has been waiting for the hearings, he said he wants to know why was his poetry considered offensive, he further mentioned that only RTI speaks to him now. He stated that this situtation has also put language in a very serious space and vulnerable to such bureaucratic interventions, as the censure is not just on poetry, but on the very usage of these words.

Prakash Parienkar, one of the three members which approved the 64 books told The Indian Express that they were briefed by Sneha Morajkar on the issue, he says that the Akademi received some letters from outside raising objections to the poetry and that this was a policy decision.

Parienkar is Associate Professor, Goa University, Department of Konkani, and also a member of the Executive Committee which took the final decision to cancel the order, reports The Indian Express.

“Khandekar’s poetry is very, very different as he deals with unique, but real topics. The content is life itself, and this decision now deprives a scholarly probe on his work, which would have otherwise happened had the Akademi purchased and endorsed his work. Having read the book for approval, we didn’t find anything in any of the poems vulgar.”

Prakash Parienkar, Associate Professor, Goa University

Prakash Parienkar also stated that it was Sneha Morajkar who had found it objectionable and the committee was told that it would be dangerous if the book goes into the hands of children.

When The Indian Express contacted Sneha Morajkar, she stated that the decision was taken by the Executive Committee, and not her alone.

“It’s being put on me now as Khandekar’s book went to win an award. They are now in a soup and they cannot blame me. We are simple people, not ‘hi-fi’. I saw the words (vagina and breasts) in the book and I didn’t feel bad, but I did ask the three members of the selection committee, all three men sitting in front of me. If it wasn’t a problem, they shouldn’t have agreed to put the matter in front of the Executive Committee.”

Sneha Morajkar, Executive Committee

She also mentioned that the Executive Committee should not have agreed to cancel the purchase of the books in the special meeting.

Khandekar, who is still following up with four RTI applications, out of which two are directed to Goa Kokani Akademi and the other two to the Directorate of Official Language, Khandekar told The Indian Express that the minutes of the meeting on 13 September, 2019 are ‘revealing.’

The response to RTI applications received Monday, 13 January, confirmed that the Akademi “has no record of having received any letter of objections from anyone”.

While the initial opposition came from Morajkar citing letters received from public, many members in the Executive Committee agreed the book shouldn’t be purchased. The minutes, reviewed by The Indian Express, reveal that two members asked if the book can be published after the poem with “objectionable words” was removed.

While a few members have pointed the exercise could impact Freedom of Speech and also suggested purchasing the book for the Akademi’s library, another, a woman member, has questioned the need to even purchase the book for the members since “objectionable words are of women which are not acceptable”.

The Indian Express reported that Sneha Morajkar notes that the book has already been published, so removing the objectionable words cannot be done. Another member pointed that in future the Akademi should frame policies or guidelines on what is “objectionable” before it goes to the purchase stage.

Khandekar’s Poem ‘Gangrape’ is Very Powerful

Konkani author Meena Kakodkar, juror of the Sahitya Akademi Award, 2019, told The Indian Express that the jury’s decision was unanimous, and nobody can forget Khandekar’s work. She further mentioned that Khandekar’s work is very strong as it speaks on social issues on the modern times. Kakodkar states that as a woman she didn’t think it was objectionable. Khandekar’s poem ‘Gangrape’ is very powerful, in fact what’s happening around in today’s age is more offensive, she states that the poem is so strong, it’s a piece of beauty, If the Akademi has refused to endorse it or taken any such order, it’s time they should revisit.

Prakash Padgaonkar, poet and another juror, Sahitya Akademi Award, 2019 told The Indian Express Khandekar’s work is suggestive, strong and representative of the downtrodden. He speaks of universal suffering and his poems call for a united action, not just in and of Goa, but across the brotherhood.

The Akademi want to censure some words, as per the report.

(This article has been published with inputs from The Indian Express)