Dear Editor,
No kudos will be enough for KP Ramanunni, the noted Malayalam author for handing over almost the entire prize money of the Sahitya Akademi award amounting to Rs. One Lakh(keeping a token amount of mere Rs.3/- for himself), that he has won for the novel Daivathinte Pustakam(God’s own book); to the unfortunate mother of the innocent boy Junaid who was murdered by the self-declared guardians of Hindus and “Gomata” in a railway station near New Delhi.
When the “nationalists” feel not an iota of shame or repentance on the gruesome murder of the son of India, Mr. Ramanunni displays conscience and humility enough to term this unique gracious act as “penance for that wicked sin”.
However it is hardly surprising because conscience and humility form the sole preserve of secular and the upright persons just like hatred and audacity form the typical characteristics of the bunch of communal cowards. The person, who can illustrate Prophet Muhammad and Lord Krishna as close friends or brothers in the award-winning novel so as to promote communal harmony and continues to walk on the path of secularism despite threats of murder by the fanatic forces, simply belongs to another higher level in moral and spiritual terms.
To protest against the shameless scandalous silence on the part of the concerned authorities and Who’s Who of India following gruesome killing of the Mohammad Akhlaques for their alleged “sin” of consuming beef and murder of intellectuals like MM Kalburgi for their “fault” of protesting against communalism; many intellectuals had returned their national-level awards with Nayantara Sahgal leading the way. Stunned by such non-violent protest, the communal rabid Hindutva brigade had “gifted” them all sorts of derogatory terms including “anti-national” in choicest of languages. I wonder how the fanatics will now react to the much tighter slap landed on their faces courtesy the unique gesture of the great KP Ramanunni.
Yours,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata