No guidelines against return of Akademi awards, says Delhi HC

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, March 27

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to direct the Centre to frame guidelines for protecting the honour of Sahitya Akademi Awards by preventing recipients from returning the awards, citing growing intolerance or other reasons.

A bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal ruled that there was no need for issuing a mandamus to the government as the Akademi had clarified that there was no provision for returning the awards.

The HC delivered the judgment on a PIL by Haji Mohd Majid Qureshi and another seeking to prevent the Akademi award winners from tarnishing India’s image outside the country by returning their awards in protest against the alleged atmosphere of intolerance.

The petitioners had pleaded that those returning the awards should be forced to return part of the royalties and other earnings accrued to them after the awards were conferred upon them. “Since the Sahitya Akademi Award is a national honour, the sanctity of the same needs to be protected in the same manner as the sanctity of national symbols, including the national flag and national emblem of our country,” they contended.

In its response to the PIL plea, the Akademi said its “constitution does not provide for taking back any award once given” and expressed the hope that “momentary differences notwithstanding, all writers of the country would be able to work together to further realise the spirit of the founding fathers of the Akademi”.