Many authors have returned their awards saying they feel Sahitya Akademi should have opposed the killing of rationalist MM Kalburgi openly.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Tuesday came down heavily on writers protesting against 'rising intolerance' by saying those suffering from the "disease of secularism" are returning their medals. The RSS, which is the ideological mentor of the BJP, said these writers had no problems in accepting the honours from those "guilty of anti-Sikh riots."
The RSS added that nothing but the "Nehruvian model" was acceptable to these secular "pen artistes".
"Some pen artists afflicted with the disease of secularism have returned their medals to protest attempts at distorting Hindu religion and destroying India. No matter which government the country wants, nothing but the Nehruvian model is acceptable to them.
"These intellectuals were not hurt when they accepted the honours from those guilty of anti-Sikh riots," an editorial in the RSS mouthpiece 'Panchjanya' said.
Noting that the "secular definition" of minorities is limited to "just one group," it said, "They (these writers) did not utter a word on Hindus displaced from Kashmir because in their view Hindus do not have any human rights."
The editorial claimed Jawaharlal Nehru had in 1938 written to Muhammad Ali Jinnah acknowledging cow slaughter as the "fundamental right" of Muslims.
"Nehru promised to allow cow slaughter if Congress ruled the country. Not only that, he said he would quit even prime ministership to allow cow slaughter to happen," it said.
"But now, after the rule has changed, they (the writers) are unable to tolerate it. These intolerant intellectuals have made known their restlessness. They are restless because the 'chair' has gone, it hurts them," it said.
According to the litterateurs who have returned their awards, free speech and writing is being suppressed in the country. Some of them feel that the recent lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri over rumours that he had beef in his house showed that a communal atmosphere was being set up.