New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) : The Sahitya Akademi for the first time on Friday condemned the killing of writers and urged the writers to take back the awards they returned in anguish against the Akademi's silence so far on the issue.

The appeal followed a meeting of the Akademi's executive board, Krishnaswamy Nachimuthu, an Akademi member and a Tamil scholar, told the media here.

Over 100 litterateurs have returned their Akademi awards to protest primarily against the attacks by some Hindutva groups on writers and thinkers like M.M. Kalburgi.

The writers also cited the lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh over rumours that he ate beef as an example of growing intolerance in the country and took out a peaceful march here on Friday.

Kalburgi was killed in August this year followed by a series of protests by writers over growing religious intolerance across the country, but the Akademi has been silent till date.

Another noted writer, Govind Pansare was attacked on February 16 in Kolhapur when he was shot at from a close range. Pansare, 81, died of bullet injuries four days later.

Earlier report

New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) : Nearly 100 writers took out a peaceful march here on Friday to protest against increasing intolerance in the country.

Writers from across the country gathered at Shri Ram Centre near Mandi House and marched towards Sahitya Akademi in the capital, wearing black ribbons on their heads as a sign of protest.

The writers said that the protest was to express their anger against the government for letting anti-social incidents happen and also to attract attention of the academy towards the increasing attacks on litterateurs.

The protest was organised just before Sahitya Akademi's emergency meeting to discuss various issues.

"Freedom of expression and speech is currently being suppressed in the country. Whatever is happening in the country nowadays, people belonging to minorities and schedule caste feel insecure," a writer said in the protest.

"The government must take some concrete steps to stop such incidents which shatter nation's secular fabric. Sahitya Akademi should also pressurize the government and pass some resolution against increasing attacks on the writers," the protester added.

Earlier this month several writers had returned their awards to register their protest against increasing intolerance in the country.