Karna theatre artiste turns down Sangeet Natak Akademi award

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 dharmamargis (righteous people) in my country, in the name of my country."
"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."
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."
"This has always been so, regardless of the party, or parties, in power."