Writers and poets should be loyal to country, not party: Javed Akhtar

Littérateurs, writers, authors and poets should be loyal to the country and common people and not any particular political party, veteran lyricist, screenwriter and activist Javed Akhtar said on Thursday.

“Often there is a debate about whether people in the field of literature, authors, novelists, writers and poets should have an association with politics. If yes, why and how much? If not, why?…these are often deliberated,” Akhtar said at the 94th All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Nashik.

“In my opinion, people in the field of literature should be loyal to the country and not any political party,” said Akhtar.

“The best literature is one that speaks to a common person,” he said and referred to the 1936 Progressive Writers Association’s meeting held in Lucknow.

“It was chaired by Munshi Premchand….Rabindranath Tagore gave his message….people from across India and from different languages attended the conference….it was resolved that they will use their pen for freedom of the country, to remove social injustice for women emancipation,” he said.

“In 1936 such a need would have been felt….but is it more than today…,” he wanted to know.