Panaji : Playwright and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad is back on the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council.

Karnad reconsidered his decision to withdraw from the high-level council following an assurance from chief minister Digambar Kamat that artistic freedom would be protected and those incidents like the attack on Sanskrit scholar and artist Jose Pereira would not recur.

Speaking to reporters on Aug 19, Karnad said CM Digambar Kamat spoke to him and requested him to withdraw the resignation. Karnad said the CM explained to him that he came to know of the incident much later as he (CM) was out of station at the time. Karnad said he was upset with what had happened to Pereira.

"The chief minister assured me that he would not allow such incidents to occur again," the actor said. "That is good enough, I feel, the rights of artists need to be protected and artistic freedom supported by the state," Karnad who has Konkani origins, said. "It is the duty of every government to protect secular traditions as enshrined in our constitution," he added.

Karnad had withdrawn from the panel protesting the state's inaction after 80-year-old Pereira had come under attack for his painting exhibition from the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) three weeks ago.

"He has acceded to my request to be on the committee," Kamat told reporters adding, "I made a sincere appeal and I am happy that he (Girish Karnad) has agreed to continue on the council."

Karnad said he would be on the Raghunath Mashelkar-led council which was constituted last month to frame a "Goa Vision Document 2035", to decide on what shape Goa should take 25 years hence. Karnad's absence was felt at the council's first meeting held earlier this week in Pune.