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Behind the dramatic cancellation of the Sahitya Akademi awards’ announcement last week, the first ever in its history, lies an attempt by the Narendra Modi government to usurp whatever space the autonomous institution has been left with in the last decade.

First, here’s a recap to help understand the abruptness of the ambush.

The Akademi announces its prestigious awards in 24 languages each year. The juries of all the languages had finalised their awardees following due deliberation. The lists had been approved by the executive board of the Akademi, which had scheduled a press conference to announce the winners on Thursday (December 18). 

People had arrived at the Akademi to attend the ceremony. They were relishing samosas and chai, when a hurried circular arrived from the Ministry of Culture about the ‘restructuring of awards’.

Addressed to the ‘heads’ of the Lalit Kala Akademi, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Sahitya Akademi and the National School of Drama, the circular reminded them of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) they had earlier signed with the ministry, which “stipulated” that the “restructuring of Awards is required to be undertaken in consultation with the Ministry”.

Until the restructuring “is duly approved by the Ministry, no process for declaration of Awards shall be undertaken without the prior approval of the Ministry,” it noted.

The announcement was cancelled, leaving both the Akademi and the juries stunned.

Before turning to the absurdity of the circular, note that the winners are chosen by a separate jury for each language, with each jury headed by a convenor. The juries were set up by Pallavi Prashant Holkar, who was appointed the Akademi’s secretary by the ministry after the superannuation of K. Sreenivasarao in October. 

Holkar is an Indian Audit & Account Services officer of the 2011 batch. Her appointment, Akademi officials point out, was seen as a step by the ministry to extend its control over the........

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