Thursday, September 22, 2011

‘Happy, but under pressure’

Flooded with congratulatory phone calls and messages from well-wishers and dear ones for winning the 45th Bharatiya Jnanpith award for 2009, Hindi literary giant Amar Kant looked relaxed and happy.

But the views of the octogenarian on the government’s attitude towards writers have not changed much.

“Does the government care? It is not only about writers. Young scientists, researchers and other such people — they all need support. Otherwise, how will you get fresh writing, new innovations and discoveries? These people need to experience the world and need to travel far and wide,” said Kant at his modest home at Panch Pushp Apartments here.

Nearly three years ago, fighting illness and a bad financial situation, Kant was so fed up with the apathetic attitude of the government that he contemplated selling his Sahitya Akademi Award, which he had won in 2007 for his novel Inhi Hathiyaaron Se. He had then said he wanted the government to “serve him” in the same way as he had served the people all these years through his works.

Full report here Indian Express

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