Controversy has erupted at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, as the festival’s daily newspaper, The Peacock, faced backlash for its decision to withhold the late Goan writer Vishnu Surya Wagh’s poem on caste discrimination.
In the Sunday edition, spotlighting a two-page illustration of Wagh by artist Siddhesh Gautam originally intended to complement the poem “Secular,” concerns were stirred when the text was unanticipatedly omitted on Saturday
Illustrator Siddhesh Gautam took to Instagram to express his frustration, disclosing, “I was asked not to publish a poem by Vishnu Surya Wagh for today’s issue. Wagh’s poem ‘Secular’ (is one that) I carefully chose because it expresses so many incidents of caste discrimination by many on a daily basis in both urban and rural areas. I myself have gone through something similar many times in my life, not just as an unknown student but also as a well-known artist.”
In a courageous move, Gautam shared the censored poem on his Instagram account, bringing attention to the issue and sparking a conversation around it.
