A coalition of over 100 writers, translators, and publishers has sharply criticised the JCB Literature Prize, accusing it of being a smokescreen to divert attention from the British bulldozer manufacturer’s alleged role in human rights violations. In an open letter released ahead of the prize’s announcement on November 23, the signatories condemned the company’s involvement in demolitions and displacement of marginalised communities across India and Palestine.
The letter alleged that while the JCB Prize celebrates Indian literature and diversity, its parent company is complicit in “uprooting the lives of poorer and marginalised communities, including Muslims and Dalits.” The signatories highlighted the use of JCB machinery in state-backed demolitions in India, settlement expansions in Palestine, and home demolitions in Kashmir.
Prominent voices backing the statement include Indian poet K. Satchidanandan, Dalit activist Cynthia Stephen, and Adivasi poet Jacinta Kerketta, along with international figures like Palestinian novelist Isabella Hammad, Iraqi poet Sinan Antoon, and British novelist Nikesh Shukla.
Cynthia Stephen, a Dalit poet, called the association between the JCB brand and a literary prize “deeply surreal,” emphasising that JCB’s equipment has been used in India to target marginalised communities under state-sponsored campaigns of demolition. “While their bulldozers raze homes, they claim to celebrate diversity through literature. This is blatant hypocrisy,” she stated.
The letter also condemned JCB’s alleged ties with the Israeli Ministry of Defence, citing its machinery’s involvement in demolitions and settlement expansions in occupied Palestinian territories, which the writers described as part of Israel’s broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. Similar concerns were raised regarding JCB’s role in Kashmir, where its equipment is reportedly used to demolish homes in conflict zones.
Writer Zia Us Salam criticised the prize as a “tool for whitewashing violence.” British novelist Tariq Mehmood labelled the initiative a “colonial relic” aimed at distracting from JCB’s active role in human rights violations.
The writers underscored data from Amnesty International, revealing that JCB equipment was used in at least 33 instances of demolitions targeting Muslim communities across BJP-ruled Indian states and Delhi between April and June 2022. The demolitions were reportedly carried out as collective punishment following communal violence or protests.
The open letter also challenged JCB’s claim of creating a “cultural legacy” through its literary prize. “A company responsible for destruction cannot meaningfully celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of a nation’s literature. This prize is a cynical attempt to sanitise JCB’s image,” the letter stated.
The signatories demanded that JCB end its ties with oppressive regimes and implement safeguards to prevent the misuse of its machinery. They called on the literary community to reject the prize, arguing that it undermines the values of inclusivity and justice that literature embodies.
This campaign, which has drawn support from a global network of writers and activists, seeks to hold corporations accountable for their actions while urging the literary world to scrutinise the ethics of corporate sponsorship.
The signatories include an array of influential voices, such as Meena Kandasamy, Andrew O’Hagan, Shailja Patel, Kavita Bhanot, and many more, uniting across borders to demand accountability and justice.
