Academy Award Farce

In the morning while having a glance at the newspaper I came across the news of Kalpana Kumari Devi getting this years’ academy award. I tried to dig my memory, but could not locate her. I have not read any of her books. I cannot remember to have come across also her name in any literary magazine during last fifteen-twenty years. I might have slipped. Since she has been awarded with the prestigious academy award, she must be a good writer; I concluded it was my ignorance not to know her.
When I logged in Facebook I came across Saroj Bal’s post: “Have you ever heard this name: Kalpana Kumari Devi???”
Then he adds, “She is eligible to get national Sahitya Academy Award for 2011 for her book ‘achinha baasbhumi’”

Saroj Bal is a writer, publisher and also an editor of a magazine. He is well informed about the writers/poets, and certainly better informed than me; but he had also not heard (or, it’s a sarcasm!) the name of Kalpana Kumari till she had been awarded and made news.

Let’s now see the reactions of some other eminent writers and persons associated with literature:
Rajendra Kishore Panda, Poet:I woke up with a surprise: Kalpanakumari Devi has been selected to receive this year's award of Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters) for Odia. I confess, I have not read any of her books; it shows my ignorance. Of course, I had seen some of her short stories years back; they were lackluster; maybe, she grew in her dimensions later, about which I didn't know.

Ranjit Patnaik: Kalpanakumari is a less known name...award scenario is so faulty and corrupt that these Kalpanakumarees encroach very often and give shock to those who are disturbingly SADHANARATA !!!

Ratnabala Swain: I am surprised and shocked when I came to know that Kalpana Kumari Devi is awarded with Sahitya Akademi Award for Odia literature. As an editor of Odia literary magazine CHITRA, I know almost all Odia writers. But I don’t feel ashamed to confess here that I have not read any of her writings. Can anyone have an idea about the jury members? I feel it’s a great joke.

Soubhagyabanta Maharana, Poet: I was utterly surprised to hear such news. I have not yet gone through any of her book till now. I am totally in the dark about Kalpana Kumari Devi. Jaya Ho Sahitya Akademi.

Pradeep Biswal, Poet: Awards are seldom free from controversies. Sahitya Akademi is no exception. Not only the awards but also the activities of the Akademi in Odisha are far from satisfactory. It’s being used as the fiefdom of a few to appease their henchmen. It’s a sad spectacle. No right thinking person can appreciate it. Self- seeking in such a system is unfortunate.

Chittaranjan Misra: It was really a surprise. Of course I have not read any of her writings as yet.

Ajit Kumar Behera: Not only you sir, I am damn sure, 99% of literature lovers haven't heard this name

A reader normally tempts to buy a book, if the author of the book or the book itself gets an award. Sale of the books of the award winning author goes up. If a reader buys a book as the book is awarded or buys a book of an award winning author and finds the book is substandard, will it not be a fraud on innocent buyers?
There is a complaint that readership of literature in Odisha is decreasing. This is not true. Books written in English sell, but books of Odia literature do not. If a person, a book lover reads literature in English why shall not he read books of Odia literature? The reasons are many. I know some Odia readers who have learnt Hindi and Bengli to read literature in those languages. Because, the original lustre of a creation is lost in translation. One of the reasons is good Odia books, for some reason or other; do not reach the Odia readers. Parents now prefer English medium schools to send their children for study. All students of any medium school- English or Odia- cannot be book lovers. There are many book lovers who have studied in English medium school. But, somehow or other, an impression is created among them that good books are not being written in Odia. Our writers-selectors selecting unworthy books/ writers for awards contribute to this kind of impression and further distancing the readers from Odia literature.

No writer writing in Odia ever thinks of making a living on his writing. It is the appreciation/affection of the reading public that encourages the writers keep on writing. Any award is recognition of that appreciation. The ‘Jury’- the middleman between the recognition and the readers’ appreciation- selecting an unworthy person instead of a deserving one for an award certainly discourages a true writer and does a disservice to the literature at large like bad money driving out the good.

Academy Award winning novels/books are translated into other languages. When such a book is translated into other language and the people of the other language happen to read it, how will they rate Odia literature? This is for anyone to guess.

This is nothing short of a crime, though there is no provision under the law of the land for punishment of such crime. To conclude, I quote from the post of Sabir Ali in the Facebook, “It is the lack-of-integrity of the writers-selectors themselves that is the root-cause of all questionable decisions. It is pitiable when some of them stoop to the lowest level shamelessly. As I find from the comment-posts, most of the persons have not read even a single work of Ms Devi. How could she turn 'eminent and award-worthy' overnight? Obviously the writers-selectors have stooped to the lowest level shamelessly. Who are they? If the Sahitya Akademi doesn't --- on its own --- reveal the names of members of the 'Preliminary Panel' (with the names of the books each of them recommended) and the 'Jury', the data can be accessed through RTI Act. That may expose the nexus.”
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