Writer and director K Bhagyaraj resigned from his post as the President of the South Indian Film Writers’ Association (SWAN).
Bhagyaraj issued a statement today, and met the press a little while ago.
In the statement, Bhagyaraj said he became the president of the union by unanimous consensus of all members, without any direct elections or contest among members of the union. He said, “I took oath and resolved to discharge my duties sincerely and conscientiously. Since then, things have been running smooth.”
Bhagyaraj said that when the Sarkar controversy broke and the Writers’ Union was involved deeply, he faced some difficulties in resolving the issue. He said he believes that some of the problems cropped up due to the fact that he did not contest an internal election at the Union, and therefore believes it is the right thing for him to step down now.
He further said that there are irregularities and concerns in the functioning of the union, and unless those are addressed comprehensively, the union will not be able to work effectively for the welfare of the writers. He believes it is his job to do the same. However, according to Bhagyaraj, unless the entire executive body resigns and a democratically-elected body takes power, these problems will not be fixed and therefore he has decided to step down from his post. He also invited other executive members who felt likewise to step down from their post in order to hold elections.
He said that some members believe that holding an election for the union in the current circumstances may be an unnecessary expense, but he thinks that not holding one will ultimately result in the union becoming weak and ineffective. Bhagyaraj therefore hopes that the members of the union overlook the expenses and hold a democratic process to elect the next executive body of the union. He hopes to contest the election and win with a clear majority and come back to power.
He said that despite many requests and pleas, AR Murugadoss did not cooperate with the efforts of the union to resolve the Sarkar issue, and thus he was forced to reveal the plot of the film. He apologised to the producers of the movie, Sun Pictures, for revealing crucial details of the film.
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Bhagyaraj said he was happy he was able to help Varun Rajendran find recognition and justice in the Sarkar plagiarism case and will take that with him as he steps down from the presidency of the union.
The actor met the press a short while ago, and requested time to address any questions they may have. He said he will need to assess the situation and address concerns and questions that may come up, and will meet the press again in two days’ time.