Ajit Pawar says Maha govt's withdrawal of award for translation a bid to impose undeclared emergency over Kobad Ghandy book

Amid a row over the Maharashtra government withdrawing an award for the Marathi translation of former Maoist idealogue Kobad Ghandy's memoir, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said the ruling dispensation was trying to control the fields of literature and culture.

He alleged the state government was trying to impose an "undeclared emergency" by scrapping the literary award, which was finalised by a selection committee, for the translation of the memoir.

Addressing a press conference against the backdrop of the row, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said the Eknath Shinde-led government is interfering in the selection of literary awards. He said political parties should not interfere in these matters.

The row erupted after the state government reversed the decision of the selection committee and withdrew the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 for Anagha Lele for her translation of Ghandy’s Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir, six days after announcing the prize. The decision came in for criticism on social media because of Ghandy’s alleged Maoist links.

The Eknath Shinde government is trying to control the fields of literature and culture, Pawar said. Meanwhile, three members of the award selection committee have resigned from the state Literature and Culture Board citing an insult to democratic procedures.