<p>Writers don't need to talk on every subject but they must not keep quiet if they witness injustice, says celebrated author-writer Vikram Seth, speaking out on the recent Supreme Court ruling that he says "has pushed us backwards, and now you will be a criminal if you are open about it (being gay)".<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Kolkata-born Seth is otherwise very low key, stays away from the twitterati clan. Some see him as a happy recluse. But when it matters, the 61-year-old speaks without fear on issues he passionately believes in. That is what writers should do, says the Padma Shri recipient.<br /><br />"A writer has a responsibility as a citizen. But a writer should speak about things he or she is interested in and not talk about everything," Seth told IANS in an interview here.<br /><br />"Eventually, life is not about having a voice heard about everything. You take things in, but you necessarily don't have an opinion on everything.<br /><br />"At the same time, one should not be completely disengaged when great injustice is done, say something like (the 1992) Babri Masjid (razing).<br /><br />"At such times, not saying anything and keeping quite is also not good," said the son of former Supreme Court chief justice Leila Seth.<br /><br />Seth, who has also received Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and WH Smith Literary award, is not known for giving too many interviews. But a publishing deal he has signed with Aleph Books for his much-awaited "A Suitable Girl", a sequel to the 1993 "A Suitable Boy", drew him out.<br /><br />"Living a private life doesn't mean from time to time I don't speak about things," Seth told IANS.<br /><br />He has been very vocal on the Supreme Court ruling upholding section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that makes gay sex a crime.<br /><br />"This ruling has pushed us backwards, and now you will be a criminal if you are open about it.<br /><br />"Look into our history before you say this is Indian or not Indian," in response to criticism that gay sex was un-Indian. "These people who claim to be Indian are most un-Indian.<br /><br />"They don't have the Indian virtues of tolerance, they don't look at the Indian source of scriptures," he said.<br /><br />These days, however, what excites him most is the sequel.<br /><br />Aleph will publish the book in India. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, an imprint of British publisher Orion, has secured the global publishing rights.<br /><br />"They are very understanding about the way books work and about the way characters reveal themselves. Understanding that a writer is not a manufacture of carburetor...<br />"I would rather not publish than publish a substandard book strictly on time," said Seth, who was otherwise at his wittiest best in the interview.<br /><br />Before this deal, the sequel was treading rough waters when its previous publishers Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin, asked Seth to return a $1.7 million advance for failing to deliver the manuscript on time.<br /><br />The sequel was to hit the market this year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of "A Suitable Boy". Now it will be published in the autumn of 2016.<br /><br />It will be the story of Lata Mehra, protagonist of "A Suitable Boy" who is now a grandmother and is searching for a suitable girl for her grandson.<br /><br />Not yet ready to share the lives of its characters, Seth thinks they need privacy. "They don't want to reveal themselves."<br /><br />The versatile writer has surprised everyone with the choices he made. He went from Oxford to Stanford to do a doctorate in economics but got interested in Mandarin. He mastered it within a year. He has studied several languages including Welsh, German and French. Even his canvas of writing poems and novels isn't restricted to a genre.<br /><br />From writing a novel in verse "The Golden Gate" to travel book "From Heaven Lake", then to memoir "Two Lives" to poetry "Mappings" -- the five-feet two inches tall man has it all in his profile.<br /><br />"What is worse when you try something new?" asked Seth. "You will fail. I am not afraid of failing.<br /><br />"But I don't do it in order to be different. I do it because I am inspired to do something."</p>
<p>Writers don't need to talk on every subject but they must not keep quiet if they witness injustice, says celebrated author-writer Vikram Seth, speaking out on the recent Supreme Court ruling that he says "has pushed us backwards, and now you will be a criminal if you are open about it (being gay)".<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Kolkata-born Seth is otherwise very low key, stays away from the twitterati clan. Some see him as a happy recluse. But when it matters, the 61-year-old speaks without fear on issues he passionately believes in. That is what writers should do, says the Padma Shri recipient.<br /><br />"A writer has a responsibility as a citizen. But a writer should speak about things he or she is interested in and not talk about everything," Seth told IANS in an interview here.<br /><br />"Eventually, life is not about having a voice heard about everything. You take things in, but you necessarily don't have an opinion on everything.<br /><br />"At the same time, one should not be completely disengaged when great injustice is done, say something like (the 1992) Babri Masjid (razing).<br /><br />"At such times, not saying anything and keeping quite is also not good," said the son of former Supreme Court chief justice Leila Seth.<br /><br />Seth, who has also received Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and WH Smith Literary award, is not known for giving too many interviews. But a publishing deal he has signed with Aleph Books for his much-awaited "A Suitable Girl", a sequel to the 1993 "A Suitable Boy", drew him out.<br /><br />"Living a private life doesn't mean from time to time I don't speak about things," Seth told IANS.<br /><br />He has been very vocal on the Supreme Court ruling upholding section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that makes gay sex a crime.<br /><br />"This ruling has pushed us backwards, and now you will be a criminal if you are open about it.<br /><br />"Look into our history before you say this is Indian or not Indian," in response to criticism that gay sex was un-Indian. "These people who claim to be Indian are most un-Indian.<br /><br />"They don't have the Indian virtues of tolerance, they don't look at the Indian source of scriptures," he said.<br /><br />These days, however, what excites him most is the sequel.<br /><br />Aleph will publish the book in India. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, an imprint of British publisher Orion, has secured the global publishing rights.<br /><br />"They are very understanding about the way books work and about the way characters reveal themselves. Understanding that a writer is not a manufacture of carburetor...<br />"I would rather not publish than publish a substandard book strictly on time," said Seth, who was otherwise at his wittiest best in the interview.<br /><br />Before this deal, the sequel was treading rough waters when its previous publishers Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin, asked Seth to return a $1.7 million advance for failing to deliver the manuscript on time.<br /><br />The sequel was to hit the market this year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of "A Suitable Boy". Now it will be published in the autumn of 2016.<br /><br />It will be the story of Lata Mehra, protagonist of "A Suitable Boy" who is now a grandmother and is searching for a suitable girl for her grandson.<br /><br />Not yet ready to share the lives of its characters, Seth thinks they need privacy. "They don't want to reveal themselves."<br /><br />The versatile writer has surprised everyone with the choices he made. He went from Oxford to Stanford to do a doctorate in economics but got interested in Mandarin. He mastered it within a year. He has studied several languages including Welsh, German and French. Even his canvas of writing poems and novels isn't restricted to a genre.<br /><br />From writing a novel in verse "The Golden Gate" to travel book "From Heaven Lake", then to memoir "Two Lives" to poetry "Mappings" -- the five-feet two inches tall man has it all in his profile.<br /><br />"What is worse when you try something new?" asked Seth. "You will fail. I am not afraid of failing.<br /><br />"But I don't do it in order to be different. I do it because I am inspired to do something."</p>