Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd was disinvited from ‘Hortus’ Arts and Literary Festival hosted by Malayala Manorama in Kozhikode Kerala from November 1-3. Kancha Ilaiah alleges that this was due to an article he wrote in the Telugu daily Sakshi on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The festival organisers had conveyed to him that there was a chance of protest at the venue if he came for the festival. The organisers or the government of Kerala didn’t extend protection to Ilaiah.
However in his mail to N.S Madhavan, the director of the festival Kancha Ilaiah accused the festival directors of not taking a stand against “Hamasism, perhaps, taking root in Kerala too”. He also alleged that there is a “terrorising network” at work.
Kancha Ilaiah had sent us the English version of his article published in Sakshi to be published in Countercurrents. We refused to publish it because of its political ignorance and Islamophobic tone.
Following is the full text of Kancha Ilaiah’s statement on the incident
I request the Indian media to publish this e-mail correspondence between me and Mr. N.S. Madhavan, as it involves the issue of Freedom of Expression, which is a lifeline of democracy. As a citizen of India and as a writer I strongly oppose any force that threatens, the freedom of expression, which is the sole of democracy. Here is the Hindu news link for your understanding.
STATEMENT BY KANCHA ILAIAH SHEPHERD
THREAT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN KERALA
Correspondence between NS Madhavan director, Malayala Manorama Arts and Literature, 2024 at Kozikode me.
I was invited to the Malayala Manorama Arts and Lit Festival 2024 being held at Calicut, Kerala to speak in a session on 2 November afternoon. Suddenly on the 29th late night the curator of the Fest Bandhu Prasad called to say that there an Intelligence Bureau input that if you come to the to the Fest there is likely to be a big protest by the Pro-Palestine forces against the article that you wrote in the Telugu daily Sakshi, with a title Rendu Deshaluga Bathukademe Dari ( Living as Two Nations is only Solution). If a minority community that is in stress of intolerance itself turns intolerant and attacks Free Speech it is not only harmful to Democracy but very harmful to themselves. I condemn this kind of intolerance. If this is allowed democracy itself will be in danger. The organisers would have asked for police protection and allowed me to participate in the Litfest.
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd
30 November, 2024 .
Mr.NS Madahavan’s reply to my mail
Dear Dr. Shepherd
Greetings from Hortus. We acknowledge the receipt of your email.
The Malayala Manorama office has received information from the Intelligence Bureau wing of the Police indicating the possibility of a protest or disruption at your session scheduled for November 2nd. This information stems from an article you recently published on a Telugu online media platform, in which you expressed your views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. As it involves both a matter of public safety and safety of one of our guests, you in this case, we thought that you should be informed urgently.
Accordingly my colleague at the festival, Mr. Bandhu Prasad, has apprised you of the situation and the challenges we face in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the festival programs. While our viewpoints on the subject of your article may differ, (which we haven’t read, since it is in Telugu) we firmly believe that differing opinions should be expressed in a democratic and peaceful manner.
The festival has requested that you speak on a topic entirely separate from the aforementioned issue, and we leave it to your discretion whether to attend the festival and speak on the agreed-upon topic. Although there is a potential for protest or disruption during your session, which could impact the festival’s peaceful atmosphere, we want to assure you that you remain welcome. The festival values diverse opinions and fosters an environment where concerns are expressed and listened to with camaraderie.
Warm regards,
NS Madhavan
1 November, 2024
Dear Mr. Madhavan
Thank you for your mail and for clarifying your stand on the protests. But you left my going to Kozhikode entirely to my decision. But you did not say anything about the necessary police protection in view of such great dangerous information given by the Intelligence Bureau working in Communist Government. I could have understood if it were the BJP Government, who are opposed to all my major books like Why I am Not a Hindu, Post-Hindu India, Buffalo Nationalism and so on. You should have informed the Home Ministry of Kerala and given enough protection to me and the conference. Malayala Manorama is a major newspaper in the state. It was your responsibility to take a stand against such Hamasism, perhaps, taking root in Kerala too. In your mail you said “This information stems from an article you recently published on a Telugu online media platform, in which you expressed your views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. As it involves both a matter of public safety and safety of one of our guests, you in this case, we thought that you should be informed urgently. You, further, wrote ” While our viewpoints on the subject of your article may differ, (which we haven’t read, since it is in Telugu) we firmly believe that differing opinions should be expressed in a democratic and peaceful manner.. For your information my Telugu article was not published in an online portal. It was published in the largest circulated Telugu daily, Sakshi. I do not know when a major paper like Malayala Manorama could not come to know its contents ,how the protesters in that state who cannot read Telugu understood what I wrote and planned for a protest of that magnitude. Bandhu Prasad mentioned that it could be a violent protest. It is Malayala Manorama’s responsibility as a major newspaper to investigate and name that organization which planned this kind of terrorising network. In such a far off war situation like the one in West Asia information about it could differ, stands about it could differ, but terrorising writers, with whom these forces disagree and threatening a major national Arts and Literature festival poses a great threat to the Freedom of Expression of India and the world. If this is being done by Muslims of Kerala then the threat to India is larger.
I request you to publish the news as the Hindu newspaper has published along with my opinion on 31 October ( see the link) and the organiser’s opinion. So that the Kerala Government and the Central Government and major political parties will come to know about such dangerous forces in India.
