dehradun writer nayantara sahgal has decided to return her sahitya akademi award as a mark of protest against growing intolerance in the country and in support of those who dare to dissent in memory of the indians who have been murdered in support of all indians who uphold the right to dissent and of all dissenters who now live in fear and uncertainty i am returning my sahitya akademi award she said on tuesday in a statement titled the unmaking of india the 88yearold writer who is jawaharlal nehrus niece also referred to the dadri lynching in her declaration put up on the website indianculturalforumin speaking with toi soon after her decision sahgal said she had been mulling over returning the award for some time because she was very unhappy with the situation of intolerance that had been developing in the country read also nehruvian idea of india actually grew under gandhis leadership nayantara sahgal i was hoping that things will improve but when they didnt i couldnt sit quiet it is astounding that the prime minister who otherwise doesnt miss a chance to speak has chosen to remain silent on these issues she said in her statement she wrote indias culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault rationalists who question superstition anyone who questions any aspect of the ugly and dangerous distortion of hinduism known as hindutva whether in the intellectual or artistic sphere or whether in terms of food habits and lifestyle are being marginalized persecuted or murdered a distinguished kannada writer and sahitya akademi award winner m m kalburgi and two maharashtrians narendra dhabolkar and govind pansare both antisuperstition activists have all been killed by guntoting motorcyclists other dissenters have been warned they are next in line most recently a village blacksmith mohammed akhtaq sic was dragged out of his home in bisara sic village outside delhi and brutally lynched on the supposed suspicion that beef was cooked in his home in all these cases justice drags its feet the prime minister remains silent about this reign of terror we must assume he dare not alienate evildoers who support his ideology it is a matter of sorrow that the sahitya akademi remains silent the akademis were set up as guardians of the creative imagination and promoters of its finest products in art and literature music and theatre in protest against kalburgis murder a hindi writer uday prakash has returned his sahitya akademi award six kannada writers have returned their awards to the kannada sahitya parishat sahgal had received the award in 1986 for her english novel rich like us