My statements have been misinterpreted,and what I meant to say was that only people who understand literature should be allowed to vote in the elections, said veteran Marathi author Girija Kir,a candidate in the elections for the president of Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. The author was responding to a controversy over her recent remarks. Kir,who was talking about giving voting rights to people who understand literature,had said,Not anyone from the slums can get up and vote,. This was interpreted as restricting the lower class from attending the sammelan. The issue has been unnecessarily politicised. Unfortunately,the people who are making this a controversy are bothered more about the elections and not about literature. While making these allegations,they forget to consider my work that revolves around the workers in the same slums and the neglected elements in the society , added Kir,who was in The Indian Express-Loksatta office on Tuesday. Kir further added,I look at these elections from the point of view of literature. In my declaration,I have assured that I will increase the scope of my work and the contribution I have made till date.On being asked if she would attend the sammelan irrespective of the election results,Kir said that she was here for the love of literature and that her attending the festival had nothing to do with victory or defeat.
