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‘Sahgal returning Sahitya award, action against extremism’
By Arul Louis
United Nations, Oct 26 (IANS) A UN monitor for cultural rights has hailed writer Nayantara Sahgal returning her Sahitya Akademi award two years ago as an example of women artistes “calling out fundamentalism and extremism”.
“Women artists often play a significant role in calling out fundamentalism and extremism,” Karima Bennoune, the special rapporteur for cultural rights, told a General Assembly committee dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural affairs on Wednesday.
“For example, in response to what they perceived as ‘rising intolerance and growing assault on free speech’, coupled with violence against intellectuals, approximately 40 leading Indian writers, including women writers, returned their literary awards in protest,” she said.
“This effort came to prominence after well-known writer Nayantara Sahgal returned a prize” with the explanation that “India’s culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault,” Bennoune said.
In 2015, Sahgal, who is the daughter of Vijayalakshmi Pandit and niece of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, returned the Sahitya Akademi Award for English that she received in 1986 for her novel “Rich Like Us”.
Bennoune, who is a professor of international law at the University of California-Davis School of Law, focused her speech on women’s rights and struggles.
“Fundamentalist and extremist ideologies and the movements, and governments that espouse them seek to roll back advances achieved in securing women’s equality, aim to block further advances, and try to penalize and stigmatise women human rights defenders promoting such critical efforts,” she said.
“At the heart of fundamentalist and extremist paradigms are rejections of equality and universality of human rights, both of which are critical to ensuring women’s cultural rights, making unwavering defence of those principles the touchstone of a gender inclusive human rights response,” she added.
Bennoune is the author of “Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here”, which chronicles the struggles against Muslim fundamentalism.
David Kaye, the special rapporteur for protection of the right to freedom of expression and opinion, warned that “the crisis for freedom of expression has deepened worldwide”.
“Journalists have been murdered, their killers rarely if ever brought to justice,” he said. “Individuals have been arrested merely for posting online criticism of government policy or officials.”
He sketched a dismal picture of the digital world, where he said online security “has been undermined by governments and government-sponsored and private trolls”.
“The public’s trust in information has been, and continues to be, attacked by political demagogues and their surrogates,” he added.
Kaye, who teaches international human rights and humanitarian law at the University of California-Irvine School of Law, said that “corporate actors in digital space” were facing threats from authorities, while they were gaining so much power that they seem “unaccountable and opaque” to many governments and observers.
Civil society activists have come under digital attack, surveillance, baseless investigations and accusations and xenophobia, he added.
(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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