Adivasi poet and journalist Jacinta Kerkatta has refused to accept the 2024 “Room to Read Young Author Award” jointly given by the United States Agency for International Development and Room to Read India Trust, reported The Wire.
Kerketta refused the award in solidarity with Palestine amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
She was named the winner for her children’s poetry collection Jirhul. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on October 7 in Delhi.
“I saw that Room to Read India Trust is also associated with [the company] Boeing for children’s education,” Kerketta told The Wire. “How can the arms business and care for children continue simultaneously when the world of children is being destroyed by the same weapons?”
Aerospace company Boeing has been associated with Israel for over 75 years. It has supplied weapons to Israel as part of commercial agreements approved by the United States government.
In May, NPR Network reported that Boeing, among all US companies, was the top supplier of bombs and ammunition to Israel from 2021 to 2023.
In August last year, former Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani announced the launch of Room to Read India and Boeing’s partnership on an initiative called the Literacy Program in Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh.
On September 26, Israel said that it had also received an $8.7 billion aid package from the US to support its ongoing military in West Asia, reported Reuters.
“When the elders are not playing a significant role in creating a better world for children, what value does this award truly hold?” Kerketta asked, while explaining the reason for her refusal to accept the award, reported The Mooknayak.
Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began on October 7 after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking over 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza. The attacks have killed more than 41,615 persons, including 16,500 children.
In September, Tel Aviv also began air strikes in southern Lebanon and began ground operations in the country on Tuesday.
Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, reported AP.
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