NAGPUR: A prepared speech highly critical of the Modi government was the reason why writer Nayantara Sahgal was “disinivited” from the upcoming 92nd annual Marathi literary meet.

Although objections raised by the MNS and a local “secular” satrap to a “non-Marathi” writer were cited on Monday as reasons for the withdrawal of the invitation to her, it turns out that the organisers developed cold feet on seeing the speech the 91-year-old chief guest had prepared for the conference to be held this week.

Sahgal, a niece of Jawaharlal Nehru who was at the forefront of the “award wapsi” campaign in 2015, had submitted her speech for the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan to the organisers in advance. She was to inaugurate the conference in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal district on January 11 in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. The Maharashtra government provides a grant for the annual literary meet.

In her speech, which went viral on Tuesday, Sahgal launched a scathing attack on the Modi regime, alleging that an atmosphere of fear and intolerance was pervading in India. “All our freedoms are in danger... This has adversely affected everything we do: What we eat, whom we marry, what we think, what we write, and how we pray. Anything that asserts diversity and goes against the thinking of the ruling establishment is under attack,” she stated.

Sahgal told TOI on Monday that no reason was given to her for un-inviting her. “No reason was given, I was just informed in a letter that the invitation was being withdrawn,” Sahgal said.

Amid demands for the organisers to apologise and re-invite Sahgal for the literary meet, Sahgal told a TV channel she would now not accept any invitation to attend the meet. The organisers late Monday issued an apology. Working president of the 92nd Sammelan Ramakant Kolte said the invitation to Sehgal had been withdrawn only to ensure the festival was conducted in a peaceful manner.

Sahgal told TOI she was not surprised that she had been un-invited — “So many concerts, literary, cultural and history-related meets have been cancelled in the last couple of years. There definitely was a lot of political pressure on organisers to withdraw the invitation.”

Sahgal’s address said the Constituent Assembly, made up largely of Hindus, had decided India could only be a secular, democratic republic. However, “today a move to confine us into a single religious and cultural identity is threatening this diversity. It seeks to divest crores of fellow men and women who are not Hindus of their constitutional rights and cast them as invaders, outsiders and enemies,” she wrote. “Bigots who roam free on the streets are targeting minorities and anyone who does not support their vision of turning India into a Hindu rashtra,” she added.

In a direct reference to the arrest of alleged urban Naxalites by the government of Fadnavis, who was to share the dais with her, Sahgal said five citizens had been arrested under false charges of sedition and conspiracy. “These are citizens who have given their lives to securing justice for tribals, forest-dwellers and neglected segments of society,” she said.

She alleged that mobs were taking the law into their hands and attacking and even killing Muslims by spreading rumours about cow slaughter. “Such attacks are going on in Uttar Pradesh and the government machinery is watching from the sidelines. When this gets official sanction, as is happening in UP, whom should we turn to for justice? In some cases, offences have been registered against victims while perpetrators have been felicitated,” she noted.

She compared the current atmosphere in India to that of Russia under Stalin and cited examples of those persecuted by the Soviet regime. In India, she said, rational thinkers like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M M Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh had been killed. “We are told don’t publish your book, we will burn it. Don’t release your films or we will destroy theatres. In other words, do as we say or you and your art will not be safe,” she said.

Referring to the “distortion of history,” she said the theory that Akbar was defeated at Haldighati was part of the movement that had resulted in the Babri Masjid being razed and was seeing references to the Mughal era being removed from books, streets and cities. “In some books, all references to Nehru, the founder of modern India, have been removed. Gandhi’s non-violence is being portrayed as cowardice,” she claimed.

She also alleged that the spirit of scientific inquiry was being replaced by folklore and mythology as “a medieval mentality” was taking root. “The autonomy of government institutions — whether in technical education, science or culture — is being eroded. The Nehru Memorial Library and targeting of JNU are examples of this. As someone who has faith in the great Hindu legacy that was a torchbearer of knowledge, I cannot accept this brand of Hindutva,” she said.

She, however, noted with hope “voices of dissent” such as those of singer T M Krishna, historian Ramachandra Guha and actor Naseeruddin Shah. The movement against repression that started with “award wapsi” had grown stronger after Mohammed Akhlaq was killed over suspicion of having beef, she said.

