BHUBANESWAR: Writers are spokespersons and conscience keepers of the common man whose struggle and challenges never end, said eminent author and Sahitya Akademi president Madhav Kaushik.
Addressing the 2nd SOA Literary Festival of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University here as chief guest, Kaushik said, writers are often regarded as conscience keepers of the common man. “It is the writer who feels the pain and agony of people around him and reflects it through his/her writings and literary works,” he said.
Kaushik further said the challenges in the lives of writers never end. “As the society progresses and adapts to changes, the challenges for writers also increases,” he said.The theme of the festival was ‘Indian Culture, Society and Literature: Prospects and Challenges.’ In her address, noted Odia writer Pratibha Ray, said the Indian culture had been a source of pride and inspiration for the world with its inclusivity, tolerance and spirituality. “However, the contemporary landscape poses challenges that demand our thoughtful consideration,” she said.
Social theorist and critic Prof Ashis Nandy focused on the creativity of literary persons at the event saying on many occasions litterateurs didn’t realise what they had created. Citing the example of eminent Indian mathematician Srinivasan Ramanujan, Prof Nandy said he had made mathematical discoveries without having any formal training in the subject or access to library.His findings, after being rejected at the global level, were scrutinised by another mathematician GH Hardy of Trinity College, London. Ramanujan’s humble background instilled in him the insecurity for which he could not even own what he had achieved, he said.
Sahitya Akademi secretary K Sreenivasarao, actor and author Divya Dutta and head of SOA Centre for Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN) Gayatribala Panda also spoke. Four Odia books of Panda, translated into different Indian languages, were released during the inaugural ceremony. Besides, another book titled ‘Sarola Das Mahabharatha Sampadana Prastab-Bhabishyat, Atita O Bartaman’ published by PPRACHIN was also released.