Of Coffee and Beer

Recently Arundhathi Subramaniam and Kedarnath Singh were given awards by different institutions for their contribution to English and Hindi poetry respectively . While congratulating her, Arundhathi threw an open invitation to have coffee with her in my next trip to Mumbai at Prithivi theatre canteen as we had done in our first meet. Similarly, Kedarnath Singh also invited to have a mug of beer with him in IIC or CP, Delhi this summer. Both are good friends indeed. I had the reason to rejoice. I promised both of them to have coffee and beer when I go visit to Mumbai and Delhi next time. Celebration is a must, after all, to keep human relations warm and agile.

It'll not be out of place to say that Arundhathi is one of the finest poets of our generation and Kedarnath Singh has marked his footprints already on the sands of time.

But, I have very often observed whenever any award is given to any writer by any institution in India; the rumors suddenly creep in: all about the person concerned as to how he (or she) could achieve it. If we have to believe the sayings of Marx that all the property is theft, we have  also reason to deem that all the awards given are having a hidden agenda. Why a person or institution give any award? How far these awards or recognitions help a writer in the  creative process?

I am at least relieved that I have not heard so far any such stories, even if concocted one, about Arundhathi or Kedarnath for their getting award.


It’s a rare thing now-a-days.

Let me narrate few incidents that developed recently.

The ugly and unprecedented scene witnessed this year at the award giving ceremony by Sahitya Akademi , New Delhi, followed with the pandemonium soon after the name of the writer in Telugu language was announced to receive the award. This has surfaced the ground reality of our present system. The skeletons at last came out of the cup board.

Likewise, recent war of words in media after declaration of the Sahitya Akademi award for 2009 in Oriya literature has at last proved that all is not well in the system. Present literary scenario in  Orissa has also dismayed the young writers and aficionados of literature.

Let me explain.

Recently I chanced upon a letter written to editor of a news paper by Bibhuti Patnaik, most popular novelist in Oriya. He is a house hold name in the state, who is now associated with Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi as a convener in Oriya language. This year, after the declaration of the award, he faced wrath of young writers at various places in the state that the senior and acclaimed poet like Brajanath Rath has been deliberately ignored and lesser talented poets are given award as they could manage it.

Bibhuti Patnaik, while accepting this, made the fact public by revealing a hilarious story. He confessed to have heard from Dr DP Pattanayak, a distinguished linguist of the country, that in 2004 Dr Pattanayak had reluctantly recommend a book of one Prafulla Mohanty, as Manoranjan Das, a famous playwright and one of the three member juros, prevailed upon Dr DP Pattanayak . Das requested him to recommend Prafulla Mohanty’s book as Mohanty had assured ailing Das to foot his huge medicals bills.

Incidentally the book which was selected for 2009 was also rejected by three member juros for 2004. Dr DP Pattanayak was one of the juros in both years. Bibhuti Patnaik wondered how a book rejected for 2004 by the same jury could be selected for 2009.

Though Dr DP Pattanayak has denied the allegation metaphorically made by Bibhuti Patnaik to avoid any ensuing legal battle, but his protest appears to have no teeth at all.

Let us assume that he speaks the truth. Will he then sue Bibhuti Patnaik for spreading such news that soiled his image? Or, will he write to Sahitya Akademi to call back both the Awards given for 2004 and for 2009.Or, will Sahitya Akademi enquire into details and blacklist the juros including Dr DP Pattanayak for his apparent involvement with such malpractices?

Of course, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Presient ,Sahitya Akademi has taken few steps to curb such practices by providing the name of the juros in official website of Akademi.He has to go a long way to restore the golden image of the institution.

This is not the story of Andhra Pradesh or Orissa, it’s now happening everywhere. The institutions giving such awards are unnecessarily being drawn to controversies. Their images are being stained with ill-famed bloods. Pat came to the mind a prominent line of Shakespeare: Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood?

Let us hope, it will.

While finishing this story I received a call from a writer friend in Delhi that Kadarnath Singh was compelled to return the award given to him by Delhi government and I lost a chance to have a chilled beer with him this summer.

I have to now be happy only with a cup of steaming coffee.