Gujarat Sahitya Akademi Objects to Poem On Bodies in Ganga

Shav Vahini Ganga, written by Parul Khakhar, speaks about bodies of suspected COVID victims floating in the Ganga.

Gujarat Sahitya Akademi has called out a poem on the bodies of suspected COVID victims floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

(Photo: Video screengrab)

One of the editorials in the June edition of the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi’s official publication, 'Shabdashrushti', has called out a poem by Gujarati poet Parul Khakhar on the bodies of suspected COVID victims floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as per a report by The Indian Express. The Akademi has claimed that the intention of the poem is to spread 'anarchy'. It also called those who discussed or circulated the poem 'literary Naxals'.

Vishnu Pandya, the Akademi's chairperson, confirmed to the publication that he wrote the editorial. The piece does not mention the poem, 'Shav Vahini Ganga', specifically but Pandya said that the editorial was directed towards it.

Speaking to The Indian Express Pandya said,

"The poem has been used as a shoulder to fire from by such elements who have started a conspiracy, whose commitment is not to India but to something else. They are Leftist, so-called liberals, to whom nobody pays attention. Such people want to quickly spread chaos in India and create anarchy. The purpose of these literary Naxals is to influence a section of people who would relate their own grief and happiness to this poem”.

Pandya added that "there is no essence of poetry in it". Rather, he said, it is a way to "vent out frustration and it is being misused by liberals, anti-Modi, anti- BJP and anti-Sangh (RSS) elements".

Pandya continued, "I have no personal grudge against Khakhar. But several elements are using it as a tool for social fragmentation".

Parul Khakhar had posted the poem on her Facebook page on 11 May and it was shared and appreciated by many. She is yet to issue a statement about the editorial.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)