The award was announced for the CM’s book, which was a collection of 900 poems, at a state government programme celebrating Tagore’s birthday on May 9.
In a mark of protest against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s literary honour awarded to her by the Paschimbanga Bangla Academy, a Bengali writer on Tuesday returned an award given to her, saying that it sets a wrong precedent.
Claiming that the award has become a “crown of thorns” for her, Ratna Rashid Banerjee returned the ‘Annada Shankar Smarak Samman’ she was honoured with by the Academy in 2019 as the Bengal CM was conferred a new literary award on Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary.
In a letter to the Academy Chairman Bratya Basu, who is also the education minister for the state, Rashid Banerjee communicated her displeasure and informed about her decision to return the award.
“The Bangla Academy has decided to reward those who are working tirelessly for the betterment of literature as well as other sectors of society,” Basu had said on Monday.
Rashid Banerjee, who has written over 30 books of short stories and published research work on folk culture, said that the chief minister could have declined the award which was announced by the Academy.
“As a writer, I feel insulted by the move to give a literary award to the CM. It will set a bad precedent. The statement of the Academy praising the relentless literary pursuit of the honorable chief minister is a travesty of truth. In the letter, I have informed them about my decision to return the award with immediate effect.,” Banerjee told news agency PTI.
The award was announced for the CM’s book, which was a collection of 900 poems, at a state government programme celebrating Tagore’s birthday on May 9.
“We admire and respect the CM for her political battle, the massive mandate she got from people to rule the state for three terms. We had voted for her. But I cannot equate her contribution to politics with the claim that she worked for the cause of literature. I am not aware of,” Rashid Banerjee said.
Mamata’s book was released at the 2020 International Kolkata Book Fair.
