The mushaira (poetry symposium) in Calcutta, which writer-poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar was to preside over on 8th September, and which was postponed at the eleventh hour, “is as good as cancelled”, according to officials of the organiser, West Bengal Urdu Academy. The officials said, the Academy had postponed the function after protests by religious groups but had attributed the postponement to “unavoidable circumstances”. They added that it had no plans to hold the symposium anytime soon.
The protesting organisations, which met Academy officials o 28th August, said that they had opposed Akhtar’s participation in the event because some of his comments had hurt their religious sentiments.