Bardewa protests leasing away of Sahitya Parishad Bhawan

GANGTOK, 27 April: Founder president of Youth Library Sikkim, Santosh Bardewa, today contended that the leasing out of the Nepali Sahitya Parishad Bhawan to the National School of Drama has “snatched away the only platform for literary persons in the state to express and share their works.
He further alleged that this was a “negative step” taken by the executive committee of the Nepali Sahitya Parishad.
Mr Bardewa has appealed the Chief Minister to step in and “save this important place and only platform for the literary activities in the state”.

He also threatened that if no action was taken, then he will approach the Courts.
“The Chief Minister himself is a poet, lyricist and literature loving person, and if the only platform for the literary people should be lost under his watch, where we will exchange works and perform”, Mr Bardewa said.
He also alleged that there is a monetary interest behind all this matter and it is not new but he himself the faced this problem with the NSP when 50,000 rare books from his Youth Library and other properties were lost by the parishad.
“To save the NSP, I am ready to provide my hall to the National School of Drama for a lower rent”, he offered.
He also invited the writers to use his hall free of cost to host their various literature related programmes.
He also argued that at present, the NSP was only confined to organizing rallies and cultural shows but “completely zero” in research and evaluation of literature.