Pune to host annual convention of PEN International in Sept

Writers from across the world would discuss threats being faced by the members of their fraternity and other issues concerning them at a convention to be held here in September.
PEN International, a worldwide association of writers that seeks to promote literature and freedom of expression, will hold its annual congress in Pune, its first in the country in September, the organisers have said.
Among other issues, killings and imprisonment of writers across the world, including the killings of Indian rationalist writers Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh, will be discussed during the congress.

According to the organisers, representatives of 140 PEN centres around the world will take part in the congress.
Carles Torner, executive director of PEN International, while addressing a press conference in Pune in the presence of the family members of Dabholkar and Pansare yesterday, said that writers from 150 countries are expected to take part in the congress.
"During the gatherings, reports and cases (related to writers' imprisonments and killings) from all the countries are discussed, such as reports of writers in prisons in China, about the terrible situation in Turkey, the situation in India, and resolutions are made for each of the countries," Torner said.

"The PEN congresses revolve around three values- truth and non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, linguistic diversity and freedom of expression," he said.

"The cases (of killings of Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi and Lankesh) are still not being solved and we do not accept this type of impunity," Torner added.
Worldwide, there are over 900 cases against writers and journalists and all those cases have been taken by PEN as it is fighting for writers' rights and freedom of expression, he said.
"Three years back, when the writers' community in India gave back their awards in protest of rising intolerance, we wrote to the Indian government, urging them to take immediate steps to protect the rights of everyone, including writers and artistes," he said.

Torner said, PEN International also called upon the Indian government to identify and arrest those behind the killings of Kalburgi, Pansare and Dabholkar.
According to the PEN, the congress will take place in September at the iconic Aga Khan Palace.
Following suggestions made by renowned linguist Dr Ganesh Devi, who is a PEN member, the 98-year-old organisation decided to host the gathering in Pune to mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
Torner said as an outsider, he is fascinated by Mahatma Gandhi and the writings of Rabindranath Tagore.
"After reading all these people, I have an image of India as a tolerant society. However, when such incidents of killings of writers and rationalists take place, it gives contrasting picture of otherwise tolerant India," he said.

Shaila Dabholkar, wife of slain late Narendra Dabholkar, said, "The incident of Dr Dabholkar's killing will complete five years this August, but the government has failed to take action against the culprits. We think that there should be more public pressure on the government."
She added that writers community coming together from all over the world will give a boost to their fight.