The Sahitya Akademi will organise a national-level seminar on Mahatma Gandhi to mark his 150th birth anniversary in a first of its kind initiative.
The Centre had earlier drawn an extensive draft plan to carry out celebrations to mark the occasion. Earlier, the Sahitya Akademi had organised small literary forums on the different aspects of Gandhi's life and works in different regional languages.
The seminar "Mahatma Gandhi in Indian literature" will be held between January 31 to February 2, 2019 during the Akademi's annual Festival of Letters. The Akademi has called for abstracts from scholars for the seminar.
An expert committee set up for the purpose will select the final candidates from the abstracts received to present papers at the seminar. Scholars have been encouraged to explore writing papers on Gandhi and democratic values, Gandhi and women empowerment, influence of Tolstoy and Ruskin on Gandhi, influence of Buddha and Socrates on Gandhi, Gandhi in Asian Literature, Gandhi and African Literature, Gandhi and Romain Rolland, Gandhi as seen by European and American Writers, and Gandhi and independence movement poetry.
The seminar will feature eminent scholars and writers from across the country. The seminar will also touch upon Gandhian thought and map out Gandhi's influence on the different genres of modern Indian writing and folk literature."Sadly, Gandhian thought is fast vanishing from the cultural milieu of India," said K Sreenivasarao, secretary, Sahitya Akademi. The national seminar is being organised to inspire young scholars to reach out to Gandhi's works and teachings, to help them put Gandhian thought in modern perspectives and to instil Gandhian values, said Sreenivasarao.
The Akademi wants to successfully bring out the impact of Gandhi's speeches, writings on India's politics and culture through the seminar. The Akademi is also planning to celebrate Gandhian literature over the next two years.