Mangaluru: Shahanaz M, an award-winning writer, author, poet, novelist and counsellor based in the city, has announced her decision to return the much-coveted Kittur Rani Chennamma award bestowed on her by state’s department of women and child welfare in 2002.
She joins a large number of authors, writers, activists and public figures who have already returned the awards won by them, as a token of protest against an atmosphere of intolerance, violence and communal disharmony prevailing in the country now.
Speaking to this writer, Shahanaz, who is also the editor of Anupama, a Kannada monthly for women, said, “India is the largest secular nation in the world. In spite of its being based on a well-formulated Constitution, it is witnessing an alarming rise in communal intolerance.”
She has taken a serious view of the rising religious bigotry, the killing of author M M Kalburgi, the assault on Sudheendra Kulkarni, the Dadri lynching episode following the bogey of beef-eating and the stripping of a Dalit woman in a northern part of India. She is also saddened by the failure of the governments in arresting these dangerous trends.
She added that besides the memento, the cash purse of Rs 10,000 would also be given back to the department. She also demanded that the killers of Prof Kalburgi be brought to book as early as possible. The fact that this award had been the most cherished among those won by her so far had added to the sadness. What effect it would have in the current situation was immaterial according to her, but she felt conscience-bound to return it to the government to register her protest.
Shahanaz has won many awards in the past. She has bagged the Attimabbe award on two occasions, besides Kalyana Ratna, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Vishwa Kannada Kanmani, Rukmini Bai, Jeejabai, Kavi Shadakshari and Sumasourabha awards. She is also the recipient of the DK district Rajyotsava award.
She credits her success to the constant support and encouragement received from her family, most of all to her husband S M Muthalib of Taj Cycles Company here.
In spite of being totally occupied with the work involved as a homemaker, journalist and writer, she also heads the Sahana Counselling Centre, which provides women in distress and depression with solace and succour.
One of the many feathers in her cap:
And please do forget to return the cash award also.
“She has taken a serious view of the rising religious bigotry” – Report on author-journalist who has returned an award. All freedom-loving, freethinking, progressive people will be deeply troubled by religious bigotry. We certainly don’t want to live in a society bullied or hijacked by religious groups. Unfortunately, many religious bigots are hiding behind ‘secular’ banner to selectively attack sanaathana dharma these days. Similar to antisemitic views at global level, anti-sanaathana views in Indian subcontinent are very real and powerful. Many won’t openly admit it but their views and selective outrage provide plenty of evidence on anti-sanathana views! Does anyone… Read more »
“I get very surprised to observe many people, who have not taken the troubles of educating themselves on any issues, just jumping to conclusions by merely observing some scenes on the television” – Nelson Lewis Dear Nelson, I agree with you. To be fair, I’m not surprised by folks like joker Praveena or clueless AS Mathews. Even the media and progressive groups are falling for propaganda and believing in lies and rumors. – Mr. Rampa One scratches the other’s back – like Mr. Shaikh said. Both react to news and react. One fellow EVEN goes to the extent of posting… Read more »
Can someone tell me why Praveena is responding to unrelated posts? I know that he is still in anganawaadi. Is it that difficult for him to follow the discussion here? This is why he is the joker and joke!! LOL
Can someone tell me why Praveena is responding to unrelated posts? – RampaNNA JUST by posting under a different post (which is actually a TOPIC/article – but then, that has totally missed your gnat-like attention span – & honestly, I DON’T and can’t blame you for that though!), does it dilute anything? And I also trust that EVEN a Rampa like you knows that the new-format isn’t too conducive for rebuttals and then… some more.. and then MORE until Dil says NO MORE! Or, am I presuming too much about you? Hmmmm.. I think that I need a rethink on… Read more »
More gibberish from Praveena as usual!!
You and your great political ideology and the battalion of leaders are going to be displayed to the whole world as “clueless and brain fogged”.
Unfortunately, many religious bigots are hiding behind ‘secular’ banner to selectively attack sanaathana dharma these days.-Atheist Mr.Original Pai Sir,Is Sanathan Dharma is part of Atheism you worship? Jews used anti semitic as a weapon to silence the critics when religious atrocities committed against Muslims and Christians what they termed as ‘promised land’ humanity. Now Modi’s India run by RSS is also following the steps of Guruji’s who glorified Hitler purging the country of the semitic races(Jews). Critics have accused Golwalkar of being a fascist, pointing to his extreme right-wing views expressed in the 1939 book, We, Our Nationhood Defined. In… Read more »
Namaskara. Hope Sharia Shaikh responds to below news & the vendetta meted out to Taslima too: INDIAN WRITERS GUILTY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO DISSENT: TASLIMA NASRIN: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-writers-guilty-of-double-standards-when-it-comes-to-dissent-Taslima-Nasrin/articleshow/49425201.cms QUOTE: The number of writers who have returned their Sahitya Akademi awards is now almost 30. The government has called their protest a manufactured protest. Now noted Bangladeshi writer and exile Taslima Nasrin has also entered the fray. In an interview to TOI’s Sagarika Ghose she asks why writers were silent when she was being persecuted. What is your response to the fact that so many writers in India have… Read more »
“Not only they were silent, famous writers like Sunil Ganguly and Shankha Ghosh appealed to Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the then CM of West Bengal, to ban my book” – Shankaranna quoting Taslima. Dear Shankara-anna, The Left and progressives have failed in confronting one specific ideology all over the world. They don’t mind attacking sanaathana dharma, Christianity or Judaism. However, they turn into one of the most pathetic apologists when it comes to one specific ideology. Honestly, in my opinion, they are afraid of being harmed or even killed. They have seen what happens to those who try to question this ideology.… Read more »
Modi’s toadies are unable to make a moral distinction between banning a book and killing an author. The difference between the Congress and the BJP is that Congress has banned books under political pressure but the RSS/BJP and its affiliates have taunted authors with death threats and held mock funerals for writers. Congress has not always lived up to liberal values but the RSS/BJP is openly hostile to liberal values.