Return Gift

The Non-awardees: Writers who have published numerous books and have received no awards for their literary efforts. They would like to protest against the rising tide of intolerance but lacking an award they can return and get their name in newspaper headlines, it leaves them stranded in no-man’s land. Chetan Bhagat even tweeted about this. The non awardees have now formed an association, SLAP (Society for Lack of Literary Prize) to protest against having nothing to protest.

Other Awardees: Would it make sense to return an Oscar, a Magsasay or even a Nobel Prize? After all, the organizations that handed out those coveted prizes are not connected to the Government of India or its affiliates. Yet, it is tempting in that it would make a very bold statement. A R Rahman or Resul Pookutty could think about returning their Oscars, if only to show how nobel they are.

It’s Not Cricket: How about our sportsmen? They could increase their fan base, not to mention endorsement fees, by returning the awards they have won, starting with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the Arjuna Award, the Man of the Match award, Man of the Series, Woman of the Match, catch of the match, and all the others that give our sportsmen and women some feeling of being wanted and loved and appreciated, apart from the prize money. Sadly, it’s not cricket, so we are unlikely to see sportsmen lining up outside Rashtrapati Bhawan weighed down by trophies and those oversized cheques, eager to make a statement of solidarity. Plus the President is out of the country anyway.

Students: They can make the biggest contribution to the current trend of protests by returning all bottles of black ink they have in their schools to the manufacturers. This will deprive those who are in the habit of protesting against writers by smearing their targets with ink to show the world how much they hate and fear the written word. After all, it makes people think.

Film Stars: No one gets more awards than our film stars thanks to the number of award ceremonies that are held every year in India and abroad, just like how our movies are shot. If they were to return their awards in protest, imagine what a scene that could be---glycerin tears, chest beating, prayers to Gods and Priyanka Chopra on her knees in the midst of rubble, representing the collapse of democracy. The only missing link would be Aamir Khan who refuses to accept awards. In protest, of course.