Follow Arundhati Roy's footsteps: Asiya to state awardees

Srinagar, Aug 28: Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of Faith) chief Asiya Andrabi has asked the recipients of state awards in Jammu and Kashmir to take a cue from Booker Prize winner and noted environment activist Arundhati Roy and return the awards.

In a statement here, Ms Andrabi expressed anguish over the awards received by some Kashmiris from the state government.

''Their heads should bow down as they have received awards from cruel rulers. They should have followed the footsteps of the world renowned author who declined the 2005 Sahitya Akademi award as a mark of protest against the unabated human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir,'' she added.

Ms Roy had won the 1997 Booker Prize for her first novel - 'The God of Small Things' and the Sahitya Akademi award was for her book - 'The Algebra of Infinite Justice'.

Ms Andrabi said these rulers have been killing the people of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 without mercy, sexually exploiting girls and had turned the Valley into a garrison and now they were awarding the Kashmiris.

''Didn't the awardees see those hands soaked with blood from whom they received the awards? she asked.

Ms Andrabi said they should have declined the awards to express solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI