Mumbai: Members of the 93rd All India Marathi Literary Meet (AIMLM) have said they are at the receiving end for selecting Father Francis DiBritto's selection as the convenor, to be held in Osmanabad.
Kautikrao Thale Patil, the president of Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Mahamandal, organising body for this literary summit, claimed the members are receiving threatening calls. The secretary, Milind Joshi too received calls and was told, "We will do your Duryodhan." (Duryodhan was killed in the Mahabharat as he was hit on his thighs with a mace). Anand Dave, chief of Brahman Mahasangh said, "We appeal to the state government to scrap the appointment of DiBritto as the convenor, because he is a Christian priest responsible for converting Hindus." Dave further questioned DiBritto's contribution to Marathi literature without reading.
Thale Patil claims he received 20-25 calls but is yet to file a police complaint. "Those calling have a right to put forth their arguments but the fact is Father DiBritto's name was selected unanimously by all the members of the committee," said Thale Patil.
Dibritto has written two books in Marathi-- Srujanancha Mala and Subodh Bible - New Testament. DiBritto got a Sahitya Akademi award for Subodh Bible book. He is known to be a progressive thinker and writer. He started a magazine for Catholics, 'Survarta' betweem 1983-2007. He discussed many socially relevant issues and in fact it was not restricted to the Catholic community, but the magazine etched a name in Marathi literary field. Father DiBritto was the president of 15th Marathi literary meet.
