Satchidanandan’s FB post triggers rumours of his resignation as Sahitya Akademi chief

The poet later deleted the post. He had earlier revealed that he was suffering from transient global amnesia

A recent Facebook post by poet, critic, and Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K. Satchidanandan sparked rumours that he was set to resign from all his official positions.

In his post, he wrote that he was going to step down from all official roles in various organisations, including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Ayyappa Panicker Foundation, Attoor Ravi Varma Foundation, and Desheeya Manavika Vedi. However, the post was deleted later, leaving many questions unanswered.

In the post, the 78-year-old poet wrote: “I have very little time on Earth. Have already been given the warning. Need to spend more time on the laptop. Leaving all organisations with which I have been associated as an organiser—Ayyappa Panicker Foundation; Attoor Ravivarma Foundation; Sahitya Akademi; Desheeya Manavika Vedi—and all editing works entrusted to me by publishing houses in English and Malayalam.”

However, sources in the Kerala Sahitya Akademi said that they were not informed of any such decision. A

few weeks ago, Mr. Satchidandan declared that he was planning to end his public life due to health issues. He is reportedly suffering from transient global amnesia. He said that his neurologist has advised him to avoid travelling and delivering public speeches.

Announcing his decision in a Facebook post, he requested that he no longer be invited to give lectures, noting that speeches even by “figures like Christ and Buddha have not made the world better.”

Diagnosed with transient global amnesia, he has been on medication for the past few years. “After that, it didn’t recur. However, on November 1, it returned in a new form. Numbness in the legs, shaking hands, difficulty speaking, memory loss—these are the symptoms that last only a short time. Doctors say that stress is the main cause of this second episode. Therefore, I am gradually stepping back from public life. I will avoid travel and speeches,” Mr. Satchidanandan wrote in the post.

Published - November 27, 2024 08:41 pm IST