NEW DELHI: It was an evening to celebrate “the power of words, the richness of storytelling and the enduring legacy of Shri Ramnath Goenka”. With these words, Manoj Kumar Sonthalia, chairman and managing director of The New Indian Express Group (Madurai), inaugurated the Second Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman at a glittering gathering in New Delhi on Friday.
The evening started with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by chief guest Swami Swaroopananda along with Sonthalia, The New Indian Express Group (Madurai) Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, CEO Lakshmi Menon and Editor Santwana Bhattacharya at the Leaders’ Lounge in Bharat Mandapam.
Sonthalia drew a memorable link between Friday’s event and the first award instituted by the group’s founder. He said it was a special moment to have Swami Swaroopananda, the global head of the Chinmaya Mission, as chief guest at the Second RNG Sahithya Samman especially because it was Swami Chinmayananda who, at Ramnath Goenka’s request, had been the chief guest at the B D Goenka Excellence in Journalism awards way back in 1988.
The guidance Chinmayananda had given then — “to be fearless and have respect for our country” — still informs the work of The New Indian Express Group (Madurai), Sonthalia said.
The uplifting power of the written word, as emphasised by Ramnath Goenka and carried on as the Group’s mission, was front and centre through the evening. The Sahithya Samman carries forward the ideals Goenka stood for — “truth, integrity and a commitment to empowering society through knowledge”, Sonthalia emphasised.
Calling the winning works of debut fiction and non-fiction as “testaments to the resilience, complicity and beauty of human experience”, Sonthalia reminded the guests, jury and awardees: “Literature is not just a record of the times we live in, it is also a beacon lighting the way forward.”
These stories “contribute to the larger narrative of our country and our collective identity”, Sonthalia said. “They will remain with us long after the final page has been turned.”