Intolerance debate: Author Vikram Sampath steps down as founder of Bangalore Lit Fest
Bengaluru, Nov 30: After the 'intolerance debate' hit the Bengaluru Lit Fest (BLF) this year, author and founder of the BLF Vikram Sampath stepped down as its director after writers were critical of his stand on the intolerance debate.
Sampath, a Sahitya Akademi award winner himself, had written an article last month, where he disagreed with writers who returned their awards over the rising intolerance in the country.
In
a
Facebook
post,
Sampath
wrote:
"A
painful
but
necessary
decision
to
take
have
released
this
to
the
media.
May
sanity
prevail
in
our
country!
Over the past few days, I seem to have become the target of a personalized campaign that I believe is for two reasons. First, my personal view point on why I do not subscribe to the ‘Award Wapsi' campaign. In an article I wrote in October 2015, I enumerated why I do not wish to give up my Sahitya Akademi award - one that has been given to me for my work by the people of India, judged by an independent jury of fellow writers and scholars and not a political party or Government.
I
had
said
then
that
it
is
a
precious
attestation
of
my
work
by
my
own
community
of
writers
and
intellectuals
and
it
was
not
given
to
me
for
being
a
political
stooge.
The
best
way
to
uphold
freedom
of
thought,
speech
and
expression
from
regimes
of
all
orientations
is
to
write,
write,
write.
A
view
I
continue
to
hold.
Second,
was
my
stance
on
the
recent
Tipu
Sultan
controversy
and
a
subsequent
petition
signed
by
me
along
with
a
group
of
very
eminent
historians,
archaeologists,
epigraphists
and
artists
on
the
need
for
recognizing
multiple
view
points
and
narratives
in
Indian
historiography.
As
someone
who
has
researched
the
history
of
Mysore
for
over
15
years,
I
believe
I
am
entitled
to
have
an
intellectual
stand
point
on
a
matter
of
historical
debate
as
also
to
this
invaluable
gift
of
freedom
of
expression
that
the
founding
fathers
of
this
great
country
have
fought
hard
to
achieve
for
us.
I see from media reports and personal conversations in the last few days, that several of my fellow authors and speakers have cited these two instances as reasons for their withdrawal from participating in the upcoming edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF), an organization that I along with other citizens of Bengaluru founded in 2012.
BLF is Bengaluru's festival; it is a celebration of literature for the city. We are proud to have built it over the past years as India's largest community funded literary event. The Festival has strived hard to maintain an independence and neutrality that is so hard to achieve in today's market-driven ecosystem.
The organizers and advisors, all eminent Bengalureans, believe and continue to believe that while the city of Bengaluru has its fair share of urban disasters and crumbling ‘hard' infrastructure, forums like BLF are quintessential to create the ‘soft' infrastructure where the city comes alive in open debate, discussions and dissent.
By no yardstick of imagination was this ever "Vikram Sampath's festival" as it is made out to be in the letters written by protesting writers and in the media. Anyone can evaluate the programming and the list of speakers in the last three editions and find that we have given equal space to all shades of opinion, irrespective of our personal views.
I
believe
that
this
is
what
a
literature
festival
needs
to
be,
rather
than
reduce
it
to
a
cabal
of
participants
and
organizers
who
agree
with
each
other
on
every
point
of
view.
I now find this distressing scenario where my personal freedom of expression is coming in the way of the festival. Without getting into the finer details of nuance or metaphorical descriptions, my articles have been torn out of context and conclusions reached hastily. Names and labels have been attached carelessly without any evaluation of my past track record or body of work. I stand by my article(s) written in the past.
I
am
not
apologetic
about
them
in
any
manner
and
will
continue
to
cherish
the
freedom
that
my
country
gives
me
to
air
my
opinion
fearlessly.
However, in the interest of the organization that I founded and nurtured, which is now being linked to my personal views and targeted, I have taken the painful decision of stepping away from all responsibility of organizing the Festival.
Since
the
protesting
writers
had
a
problem
with
my
presence
and
involvement
with
the
festival
rather
than
the
festival's
nature
and
character
-
I
am
sure
they
would
not
have
agreed
to
participate
in
the
first
place
if
it
was
the
latter,
I
am
hopeful
that
my
withdrawing
of
involvement
will
now
make
them
more
comfortable
with
participating.
The
festival
and
the
ideals
it
has
stood
for
are
far
greater
than
me
or
any
individual
-
it
would
be
a
shame
if
because
of
me,
differing
views
go
unheard.
The Festival has always had a strong team running it, including the founding team of Shinie Antony, Srikrishna Ramamoorthy along with key advisor V Ravichandar - they will continue to lead the charge as the organizing committee.
I
am
listed
as
a
panelist
in
the
festival
programme.
If
the
organizers
want
me
to
speak
at
the
festival,
I
am
happy
to
be
there.
Else,
I
will
enjoy
the
sessions
from
home
via
live-streaming!
George Washington's words ring in my ears: "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."
OneIndia News