The West Bengal Urdu Academy has indefinitely postponed a mushaira (poetry symposium) which was scheduled for 8th September following protests by religious groups against writer-poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar’s presence. The groups claimed that certain comments by Akhtar had hurt their religious sentiments. Although the Academy has attributed the deferment to “unavoidable circumstances”, it is quite clear that the organisers bowed down to pressure from the protesting groups.
Javed Akhtar reacted to the postponement thus: “It is very interesting that I keep receiving hate mails and comments from both, Hindu and Muslim organisations. Some Hindu outfits call me jihadi and tell me to go to Pakistan whereas some Muslim organisations call me kafir and tell me to change my name. As far as I receive such resentment from both sides, I think, I am saying and doing something right.”
Javed Akhtar also made it clear that such threats and protests will not discourage him from going to Calcutta.