Bengaluru: Senior journalist and Founding Editor of PARI (People's Archive of Rural India), P Sainath, on Friday announced that he will return the Basavashree award, conferred by the Chitradura Murugha Mutt back in 2017. In a series of tweets, Sainath described the recent revelations of sexual harassment charges against Shri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, pontiff of the Mutt, as the leading reason behind the decision.
"I am most disturbed to learn from media reports of the appalling developments involving the pontiff of the Shri Murughamath in Chitradurga, Shri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru. He now faces a case and charges under the POCSO and SC/ST act." Sainath said.
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"Shri Sharanaru has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of children, specifically high school girls. No words are strong enough to condemn any such offences against children. In solidarity with the survivors and with the cause of Justice in this case, I hereby return the Basavashree award (and the Rs. 5 lakhs prize money that came with it, by cheque) conferred on me by the Math in 2017" he added.
He further thanked 'OdaNadi', a Mysore-based Non-Governmental Organisation, for its sustained resistance against malpractices in society. "I would like to record my appreciation of the efforts of the Mysuru-based NGO "OdaNadi" to bring the awful incidents to light and their decades-long fight against social evils.
Their persistence has forced the launch of the investigation. #MurughaMutt" he further tweeted out. Sainath also appealed the Karnataka government to carry out a thorough probe into the matter and "not allow that to be compromised on any grounds whatsoever".
