NEW DELHI: Union Tourism and Culture Minister Shekhawat said that India’s cultural diversity is reflected in its many languages, dialects, cuisines and identities and an important strand of that thread that unites diverse cultures is its rich literary heritage. The minister was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 41st edition of Sahitya Akademi’s Sahitya Utsav: Festival of Literature.
The festival showcases India’s literary heritage. Lectures by renowned authors and panel discussions on various literary genres will be held. The proposed festival will also celebrate the contribution of prominent playwrights and the LGBTQ community.
The minister said – highlighted the country’s diverse cultural heritage, which is embodied in its many languages, dialects, cuisines and identities. “We are proud not only of our rich cultural traditions but also of our diversity. India is a country full of diversity. India’s many languages, dialects, food, clothing, identity and its cultural diversity are also reflected on its literary canvas. Literature is indeed one of the many strands of the thread that unites all the diversities of India,” Shekhawat said.
The six-day festival will feature a number of activities, including lectures, panel discussions and cultural performances. Eminent writers and poets such as Mamang Dai, Sanjoy Hazarika and Akhil Katyal will give insights into India’s diverse literary landscape. The event emphasises how literature has historically united India’s diverse cultures. The festival will also celebrate the birth centenary of Hindi playwright Mohan Rakesh and Malayalam playwright Omcheri NN Pillai.
Other highlights of the festival include discussions on writings from the Northeast, tribal communities and the LGBTQ community, emphasising the inclusive nature of India’s literary tradition. Shekhawat said India’s literature has consistently played a role in bringing together the country’s many cultures. “We can think of numerous literary masterpieces from our Vedic literature, Puranas, epics and other timeless works, all of which have tried to bridge the gap between India’s diverse cultures. India’s literature goes far beyond religious texts or fiction. It is a key symbol of our historicity, ideologies and identities,” Shekhawat said, adding that Indian literature has provided continuity to its cultural transformation for thousands of years.
“India’s litterateurs have created masterpieces as a medium to give direction to life.” The annual literature festival will include lectures and sessions by eminent writers and poets including Mamang Dai, Sanjoy Hazarika, Nilima Singh, Mini Krishnan, Sujatha Shiven, Rakhshanda Jaleel, Nandita Das, Akhil Katyal, Paul Zakaria, Volga, Arjun Dev Charan, Vaman Kendre, AJ Thomas, Manisha Kulshreshtha, Yatindra Mishra and MK Raina.
During this, the Akademi will honour 23 winners of the Sahitya Akademi Award at a ceremony which will be addressed by noted English playwright Mahesh Dattani. This year’s Samvatsar Lecture will be delivered by English writer Upamanyu Chatterjee on Sunday on the topic “Some things that may come up for discussion”. Sahitya Akademi Award winners Gagan Gill (Hindi), K Jayakumar (Malayalam), Sameer Tanti (Assamese), AR Venkatachalapati (Tamil) and Dilip Jhaveri (Gujarati) will interact with other eminent writers and scholars including Anjum Sharma, P Krishnanunni, Dinkar Kumar, DI Aravindan and Kamal Vora respectively.
Various forms of Indian literature including ancient Indian literature, translation, drama, religious literature, women’s writing, poetry, devotional literature and Dalit writing will be discussed during the national seminar. Some of the writers and thinkers participating in the national seminar include Chittaranjan Tripathi, Sayantan Dasgupta, C Rajendran, Indrani Sanyal, Seema Sharma, Malashri Lal, Jay Saha, Sudha Seshayan and TS Krishnan.
The week-long festival will also highlight writing from the Northeast, tribal areas and the LGBTQ community through panel discussions, writers and poets meets and book readings. Children’s writers, young writers, short story writers and women’s literature writers will be part of separate panel discussions and meets. Touted as Asia’s largest literature festival, the event will see the participation of 700 writers representing over 50 languages ​​across 100 sessions. With a theme focused on Indian literary traditions, the festival will host a national symposium featuring eminent thinkers and writers. Various literary and cultural activities

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