Sampath steps down as organiser of Bangalore lit fest

Co-founder of Bangalore Literature Festival, historian and writer Vikram Sampath has stepped down as the organiser of this year’s edition of the event.

This follows a “campaign” against him by liberal sections of society for refusing to support authors who returned their awards and honours citing “rising intolerance” towards free speech in the country.

The liberals apparently felt uncomfortable with Sampath not taking the liberal view. Therefore it would not be possible to be part of a festival where the organiser himself is on the “right” side of the debate on free speech, some participants felt.

Sampath proffers two reasons for stepping back. “Over the past few days, I seem to have become the target of a personalised campaign that I believe is for two reasons. First, my personal viewpoint on why I do not subscribe to the ‘Award Wapsi’ campaign. Second was my stance on the recent Tipu Sultan controversy and a subsequent petition signed by me, along with a group of very eminent historians, archaeologists, epigraphists and artists, on the need for recognising multiple viewpoints and narratives in Indian historiography.”

“I see from media reports and personal conversations in the last few days that several of my fellow authors and speakers have cited these two instances as reasons for their withdrawal from participating in the upcoming edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival, an organisation that I and other citizens of Bengaluru founded in 2012,” he said.

“However, in the interest of the organisation that I founded and nurtured, which is now being linked to my personal views and targeted, I have taken the painful decision of stepping away from all responsibility of organising the festival....since the protesting writers had a problem with my presence and involvement with the festival rather than the festival’s nature and character – I am sure they would not have agreed to participate in the first place if it was the latter, I am hopeful that my withdrawing of involvement will now make them more comfortable with participating. The festival and the ideals it has stood for are far greater than me or any individual – it would be a shame if because of me, differing views go unheard.”