Karnataka theatre artiste Raghunandana turns down Sangeet Natak Akademi award citing 'mob lynching'
Bengaluru, Jul 18: Eminent theatre personality from Karnataka Raghunandana Thursday declined to accept the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in protest against incidents of "mob lynching and violence in the name of God and religion" and attempts to throttle voices of activists.
In a statement, Raghunandana said he cannot accept the award when "injustice" is being done to righteous people in the country.
"My atmasakshi (conscience), my antaryami (God within) does not permit me to," he said, two days after the award was announced.
Apologising for declining the award, Raghunandana said, he cannot, as a theatre artiste, poet and playwright, accept the award "when such injustice is being done to these dharma margis (righteous people) in my country, in the name of my country."
Thanking it for giving him the award, he said the Sangeet Natak Akademi is an autonomous institution and has been, on the whole, upholding its principles of autonomy through the years.
"However, today there is mob lynching and violence in the name of God and religion, and even in the matter of what one eats. The powers-that-be are directly, or indirectly, responsible for these deadly acts of murder and violence."
"They are directly, or indirectly, supporting the hate campaign that uses all means, including those offered by internet technology, to fulfil its unholy aims," the artiste said.
He also expressed his concern over attempts to put in place systems "that will teach lessons of hate and irrationality to students everywhere from those in institutions of the highest education to those in schools and colleges."
"The very meaning of what it is to be an Indian, and the adage Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, are being distorted, and erased. But, is not hybridity Shivam indeed? Crores of people like me can only lament: Cry, the Beloved Country," the artiste lamented.
Raghunandana alleged the country's rulers had decided to silence the poor and the powerless by throttling the voices of conscientious intellectuals and activists.
"This has always been so, regardless of the party, or parties, in power."
Calling these intellectuals as truest patriots, the artiste said they are the ones who tread the path of true dharma (righteousness) and uphold its values.
"This is not a protest. It comes out of despair, a helpless inability to accept the award. I respect the Akademi, and all those who have received this award, now and in the past. I thank the members of the Akademi, and apologise, he added.
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Belagavi businessman loses Rs 15.4 crore in digital arrest scam; money siphoned off over six weeks
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Belagavi: An 81-year-old businessman from Belagavi was allegedly cheated of nearly Rs 15.45 crore in a digital arrest scam that continued for almost six weeks, The Hindu reported on Saturday.
The victim has been identified as Ajit Gopalkrishna Saraf. According to a complaint filed by his son, Saraf received a call on February 5 from a person claiming to be a CBI officer, who accused him of being involved in a financial scandal.
The caller, who identified himself as K. Siva Subramanyam, allegedly produced fake documents purportedly issued by the CBI and the RBI vigilance cell, and claimed that Saraf had dealings with Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways and was involved in money laundering.
In the following days, another person, posing as George Mathew from the RBI vigilance wing, joined the calls. They allegedly asked Saraf to provide details of his fixed deposits and stock market investments, and allegedly forced him to liquidate his FDs and investments held with Motilal Oswal.
Fearing arrest, Saraf reportedly did not inform his family and transferred all the money under his control to accounts specified by the fraudsters. Police said the victim had not come out of his room for days.
The fraud came to light only when his son visited him during the Ugadi holidays.
A case has been registered at the Belagavi Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station, and officials said the investigation is likely to be transferred to the CID.
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