West Bengal Urdu Academy Postpones Mushaira Following Objections To Javed Akhtar’s Religious Comments

The West Bengal Urdu Academy has decided to postpone a ‘mushaira’ (poetic symposium), following protests from some Muslim groups regarding the participation of noted lyricist Javed Akhtar.

The mushaira was part of a four-day event organized by the academy, and scheduled to be held in Kolkata from September 1st. The state-run Urdu academy told PTI on Tuesday, via its secretary Nuzhat Zainab, that the event has been postponed due to “some compelling reason.” However, no official reason has been announced by the academy.

Jamiat-e-Ulema’s state unit general secretary Mufti Abdus Salam Qasmi claimed that certain comments made by Akhtar had affected the “sentiments of a section of Muslims.” Similarly, the Wahyain Foundation said that despite Akhtar’s erudition and creative talents, the academy and the Minority Affairs Department should be more careful in choosing guests while considering the well-being and sentiments of the Muslim Community.

Several Left student organizations have protested the postponement of the event, while extending an open invitation to Akhtar to speak on the role of Urdu in Hindi cinema in Delhi.

A joint statement from SFI, AISF, AISA, AIDSO, AISB, and PSU strongly condemned the “undemocratic attack by Islamist fundamentalist groups on the West Bengal Urdu Academy” as well as critiqued the TMC government for its decision to postpone the event. It claimed that the government had chosen capitulation over resistance, and declared this an attack on secularism, art, culture, intellectual freedom and scientific temperament.

Akhtar has attended multiple literary meets in Kolkata in the past, and is known to have raised his voice against religion fundamentalism. The academy has not clarified whether he will continue to be a part of the rescheduled event.

(With inputs from PTI)