New Delhi: CPM general secretary and senior leader MA Baby on Thursday strongly criticised the Sahitya Akademi for cancelling its award announcements, calling the move “extremely deplorable” and an unprecedented blow to the autonomy of India’s premier literary institution.

Reacting to the sudden cancellation of the Sahitya Akademi awards press conference, Baby said this was the first time in the Akademi’s history that an autonomous cultural body had sought approval from the ruling dispensation for its literary awards. He alleged that the Akademi was “bowing down to ruling powers” and betraying the vision of its founding members.

“It is a shame that the Akademi, which is now functioning without a Secretary, is on its knees for the government's permission, betraying the vision of its illustrious founders,” Baby said in a statement. He claimed the development undermined the independence of cultural institutions and compromised freedom of expression. 

The CPM leader further accused what he described as the “Modi–Shah–Bhagwat triumvirate” of attempting to exert control over India’s cultural and literary bodies. He called upon writers, intellectuals and lovers of literature to unite and resist what he termed an assault on democratic and creative freedoms.

Baby’s remarks came hours after confusion prevailed in New Delhi on December 18, 2025, when the Sahitya Akademi was forced to cancel a scheduled press conference to announce its annual literary awards, following a directive from the Union Ministry of Culture.

The press conference, scheduled for 3 pm after a meeting of the Akademi’s Executive Board, had reportedly finalised and cleared the list of awardees. However, minutes before the event was to begin, the Sahitya Akademi announced that the press meet had been cancelled and the Sahitya Akademi awards process put on hold, triggering sharp reactions from literary and political circles.

The episode has reignited debate over institutional autonomy, government oversight of cultural bodies, and the future of the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025, one of India’s most prestigious literary honours.