Indian poet stands with Palestinians, refuses American award

Indian poet Jacinta Kerketta has declined an award from an American organization as an act of protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Jacinta Kerketta was selected for the ‘Room to Read Young Author Award 2024’ by an Indian non-governmental organization in collaboration with USAID, for her children’s poetry collection Jirhul. However, she refused to accept the award, citing the USA’s involvement in the Gaza genocide.

“The local organization that selected me for the award works for children’s education, but it is funded by organizations like USAID, which do business with arms companies responsible for the massacre of children in Gaza,” she said.

She added, “How can the business of armaments and the care for children coexist when the world of children is being destroyed by these same weapons?”

She concluded, “Books are important for children, but thousands of children were killed in Palestine, and elders are unable to protect them.”