Nashik, Dec 3 (PTI) Litterateurs need to come forward, raise their voice against injustice and express their opinion without fear, said renowned film scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar on Friday.

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He was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Meet) here.

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“Language becomes a barrier in our country. We are slowly becoming narrow minded. Language is a vehicle which runs culture. Kings and politicians love art till it portrays beauty, but when it portrays the reality about the light of the day, the pain, tears of people, they get hurt. There are many islands of light in our country but they are not connected with each other," he said.

“Just like in the parliament, the ruling and opposition parties are necessary, it's necessary there should be citizens who can speak and write fearlessly," he said, adding that a litterateur should not be associated with any political party as it would compel him to take a specific stand.

He said the Progressive Writers' Association, with Rabindranath Tagore as one one of its members, was formed in 1936 and it first meet was held in Lucknow with Munshi Premchand presiding over the event.

"Litterateurs from all languages participated in it. A resolution was passed in it that we will not write about poetry, love but about the upliftment of our society, our community. There is need for such an association today. Today, every person is frightened and it is not right. There is need to tie not a single but many bells around the cat's neck,” Akhtar asserted.

Lavishing praise on Marathi, Akhtar said it is a language which had a poetess in Sant Muktabai 800 years ago, whereas, in Europe and other countries, women had to write literature with pseudo names.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)