Post date: Jan 27, 2013 12:34:8 PM
Gagged demonstrators protest outside the venue of the Jaipur Literature Festival innorthwestern India, calling for the arrest of sociologist Ashis Nandy for his remarks against members of the scheduled castes and tribes.
JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA (JANUARY 27, 2013) (ANI) - Gagged demonstrators protested outside the venue of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in northwestern India on Sunday (January 27), calling for the arrest of sociologist Ashis Nandy for his remarks against members of the scheduled castes and tribes.
The noted sociologist and political scientist, while addressing the JLF on Saturday (January 26), had blamed other backward classes (OBCs), Schedule Castes (SCs) and Schedule Tribes (STs) for corruption in society.The remarks kicked off a furore, with many voices condemning Nandy for his remarks.
A case was registered against Nandy, and his remarks condemned as insensitive and inaccurate.
"We respect Mr. Ashis Nandy, but the remarks he made are not worthy of him. Corrupt people have no caste. There is so much graft in the country today, is it just the backward classes who are responsible? We want that (Nandy) should be arrested and therefore, we have registered a case against him," said a demonstrator, Roshan.
Nandy later apologized for his remarks.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot pleaded ignorance of the context of Nandy's remarks.
"No one has the right to denigrate a particular community. I was not there when Mr. Nandy made his statement, so I do not know the context, nor do I know the explanation he gave to the press," Gehlot said.
The JLF's organiser, Sanjoy Roy, said that the festival was a platform for debate and that any objections to the statement must be engaged with in a democratic manner, and not through a gag on free speech.
"(The JLF) is a forum for debate and discussion. That is fantastic, because even if you do not agree to something, you must debate it. Yesterday, when Ashis Nandy made his statement, so some people from the audience registered their objections. which was absolutely perfect. But you cannot stand outside and make it a political issue (while) not being part of this process," Roy said.
Roy has also been named in the police report registered against Nandy.
The JLF is Asia's biggest literary festival.
From only 14 attendees in 2005, the JLF has grown into the world's largest free literary event, testament to literature's surging popularity in an English-speaking country with a bulging roster of internationally celebrated authors.