South Asia Citizens Web

All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) expresses its profound solidarity with the growing numbers of writers and artists who are returning the awards they have been honoured with by the Sahitya Akademies at the central and state levels. This shows the measure of their outrage at the alarming loss of space for freedom of thought speech and creative expression in India today.

As journalists from Mumbai and Karachi who see each other as colleagues, we are dismayed at the recent violent disruptions and threats against Pakistani artists, writers and cricketers in Mumbai.

The rapidly deteriorating scenario, of the breakdown of law and order endangering life and liberties of the citizens, has only one answer: the government must realize that it is responsible for the mob violence which it has covertly unleashed and overtly sponsored and protected.

PEN International, at its 81st Congress in Quebec City, is standing in solidarity with Indian writers, who are protesting against the silencing of independent voices by the killing of writers and artists

As citizens of a democratic country, we are deeply concerned about the growing culture of murderous intolerance and the brazen assault on the fundamental right to life . . .