 "Theatre personality M K Raina comes out in support of protesting artists")
Theatre director and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee M K Raina has come out in support of writers, filmmakers and other intellectuals who have returned their state awards in protest against "rising intolerance" and has called the present situation in the country as "disturbing".
"The situation now is very disturbing in the sense that it is very easy for you, me and others to talk. When you look at the minority, how they feel quietly? They don't speak out and if anyone speaks out everybody pounces on them. This is not a very good or healthy situation for the nation," Raina said.
The director had also been part of a "resistance" meet (Pratirodh) in Delhi recently, where writers, artistes, thinkers and academics had gathered against what they described as "attack on reason, democracy and composite culture".
The veteran actor and director said the various autonomous bodies such as the Sahitya Akademi in the country were being bogged down under the pressure of the state.
"The Akademis are now gradually loosing their autonomy and succumbing under the pressure of the state and that is disturbing.
"Now if you look at the charter under which they had been formed, the academies are supposed to be autonomous. But over the period of time they are just doing what government wants them to do and that is disturbing," Raina said.
The director, who has received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1981) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award (1995) said he was contemplating whether or not to return his honours.
"I don't know whether I will also be returning my award or not, but I am with the writers and honour their writing. And no one is asking anybody to give up their awards but who knows if things become worse I might just. But one thing I would like to add is that I love my award," he said.
"The situation now is very disturbing in the sense that it is very easy for you, me and others to talk. When you look at the minority, how they feel quietly? They don't speak out and if anyone speaks out everybody pounces on them. This is not a very good or healthy situation for the nation," Raina said.
The director had also been part of a "resistance" meet (Pratirodh) in Delhi recently, where writers, artistes, thinkers and academics had gathered against what they described as "attack on reason, democracy and composite culture".
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"You cannot build nation on fear, you can't build nation on anybody's whims and fancies, accusing someone of his nationalism saying 'you are not an Indian'. Nations don't mature like that. And when this comes from people in the Parliament who are leaders, it is disturbing," Raina said.
The veteran actor and director said the various autonomous bodies such as the Sahitya Akademi in the country were being bogged down under the pressure of the state.
"The Akademis are now gradually loosing their autonomy and succumbing under the pressure of the state and that is disturbing.
"Now if you look at the charter under which they had been formed, the academies are supposed to be autonomous. But over the period of time they are just doing what government wants them to do and that is disturbing," Raina said.
The director, who has received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1981) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award (1995) said he was contemplating whether or not to return his honours.
"I don't know whether I will also be returning my award or not, but I am with the writers and honour their writing. And no one is asking anybody to give up their awards but who knows if things become worse I might just. But one thing I would like to add is that I love my award," he said.