Renowned Adivasi poet, writer, and independent journalist Jacinta Kerketta has announced her decision to decline the 2024 Room to Read Young Author Award, a recognition jointly presented by US AID and Room to Read India Trust for her children’s poetry collection, Jirhul. Kerketta’s refusal comes as a protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, highlighting the complicity of US arms manufacturers in the genocide.
Kerketta voiced her strong objections to being associated with organizations linked to US AID and Boeing, particularly during a time when countless children in Palestine are suffering. She criticized the troubling partnership between educational initiatives and arms companies, which she believes contribute to the destruction of children’s lives.
“How can we reconcile the arms business with a commitment to children’s education when those very weapons are harming children?” she stated.
The aerospace company Boeing has a long-standing relationship with the Israeli military and has collaborated with Room to Read India Trust on educational programs. Kerketta pointed out the inherent contradiction in promoting education while benefiting from profits tied to conflict.
Her collection, Jirhul, celebrates the flora significant to Adivasi communities and was selected for the Children’s Book Creators’ Awards category. The award ceremony is scheduled for October 7.
Kerketta emphasized the ethical implications of accepting such honors in light of the current global crisis, stating, “While books for children are vital, we must acknowledge that many adults have failed to protect them – thousands are dying in Palestine.”
