Javed Akhtar Says 'Freedom Of Expression' Among Writers Is 'Shrinking' Because Of 'Fearfulness'
Javed Akhtar says that freedom of expression among writers and authors is shrinking as some kind of fearfulness has crept in.
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A few days before that, Vir Das's Two Indias monologue had received flak.
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The incidents in the recent past have kickstarted a debate on the burning topic of freedom of speech and expression.
Writers and novelists, Javed Akhtar recently said that freedom of expression in the country is shrinking.
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As quoted by TOI, Akhtar who was the chief guest of the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, said, "Just like the parliament and the state assemblies are important in a democratic setup, so is the freedom of expression of writers and authors. Unfortunately, the freedom of expression for them is shrinking."
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"Unfortunately, that is not happening. The writer¡¯s pen trembles while writing about the plight of common people and their woes. There is some kind of fearfulness that has crept among them. At present, there is darkness, which was never felt before."
"If you try to say or write something which is in the larger interest of the nation, you are promptly dubbed a ¡®rashtra-drohi (traitor)," he said.
He also added that writers and authors must stay away from political parties as power muffles dissent. He said that every political party has its own ideology and it won't allow you to "swerve an inch from the party¡¯s stated policies".
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A couple of months ago, Javed Akhtar had landed in legal soup after Mumbai Police filed FIR over his RSS-Taliban remark. The veteran poet and writer had drawn parallels between Taliban and Hindu extremists. "I think people who support organisations like the RSS, VHP or Bajrang Dal need to do some introspection. Of course, Taliban are reprehensible¡ they are barbarians. But the people whom you are supporting, how are they different from them (the Taliban)", he told NDTV in an interview.
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(Also Read: BJP MLA Ram Kadam Wants Javed Akhtar To Apologise With Folded Hands For His Taliban Comment)
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Garima Satija leads the Entertainment vertical of Indiatimes. A storyteller at heart who enjoys the thrill of writing, she is sometimes found daydreaming about living the lives of movie characters. Also, she hates talking about herself in the third person.
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