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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, October 12: The run-up to the prestigious post of the president of the 72nd annual Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sammelan to be held in February 1999 in Mumbai has once again been embroiled in controversial with one of the two contestants, Dr Gangadhar Pantawane, a renowned Dalit literati, alleging that the whole election procedure adopted by the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal smacking of a partisan attitude against him. He has also given an indication that he might take the matter to court.
Dr Pantawane, a much respected writer, credited with bringing to the forefront a whole generation of budding Dalit writers in Dalit Litrature to come to the forefront has been leading the `Asmita Darsahn' movement since the last four decades.
Dr Pantawane says right from the beginning the mahamandal, appears to be keen that he does not gain a upper hand. Remained part, Vasant Bapat, settled in Pune, is his lone opponent.
Dr Pantawane said despite his repeated requests the Mahamandal officials avoidedsending him a list of the voters list for the election. ``And when the list did arrive on October 8, I was shocked to notice that it was not endorsed by any official of the mahamandal. Moreover the number of members inducted into the 35 member reception committee seemed to have been pruned to 17,'' he said.
The antipathy that the mahamandal nurtures against him was very obivious from the fact that a letter he had written to its officials on October 2, 1998, was replied with a date bearing Septmber 29, 1998, probably to show that he was being kept abreast of the poll procedures well-in-time.
The Annual Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sammelan, is one of the biggest literary meets of any language in the country. Even when its held in remote rural parts of Maharashtra, the attendance is well above one lakh. The two-day affiar generally assumes the form of a mega-festival, where poets - writers - playwrites interact directly with their readers.
Though it is through a secret-ballot election that the president ischosen, assuming that the chair is considered as the ultimate accolade the world of literature can bestow on a writer in Marathi.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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