Guwahati hosts Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2024, celebrating Indian literature and culture

Guwahati, Dec 14: The three-day Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival-2024 commenced at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra campus in the city on Friday, with the participation of several hundred literature enthusiasts.

The opening day of the festival, which runs until December 15, witnessed a good response from the attendees.

The solemn inaugural ceremony featured Dr Malini Goswami, former Vice-Chancellor of Assam Women's University and a researcher- academic, as chief guest, while distinguished columnist, journalist, and economist Swaminathan Gurumurthy delivered the keynote address.

The event commenced with the rendition of a Borgeet by Vidyasagar and was attended by Lt General (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, president of the organizing body, Sankaradeva Education and Research Foundation. Other notable attendees included writer Tarun Boro, chairperson of the organizing committee, Pragjyotishpur University Vice-Chancellor Prof Smriti Kumar Sinha, and two special guest speakers-lawyer-author J Sai Deepak and Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor and author Anand Ranganathan.

Under the theme "In Search of Roots," the first day of the festival featured deliberations by speakers on the need to explore India's rich heritage and knowledge traditions. In his welcome speech, Lt General Kalita analysed the relevance of the valour and strategies of Mahabir Lachit through the perspective of a military officer, emphasizing on the importance of bringing such historical narratives to younger generations.

In her address, Dr Malini Goswami traced the journey of Assamese literature from ancient to modern times, high lighting the region's deep- rooted connection with India's literary and cultural traditions.

Delivering the keynote speech, "Development Through Culture," Swaminathan Gurumurthy critically examined the distorted portrayal of India in global narratives. Expressing his discontent, he stated that while India achieved independence 75 years ago, it has yet to develop independent thinking. Gurumurthy questioned the Western analytical lens used to assess India and lamented how Indian education has historically suppressed the entrepreneurial spirit in favour of fostering a mindset focused solely on employment.

In his closing remarks, Tarun Boro emphasized on the indispensable role of literature alongside livelihoods, asserting that literature brings mental solace.

Following the inaugural session, three lecture sessions were held. Legal expert and writer J Sai Deepak delivered a talk on "The Constitution and Civilization," while Anand Ranganathan presented an analysis on "From the Treadmill to the Travelator: India by 2047." Economist and historian Sanjeev Sanyal offered a perspective on the importance of revisiting historical narratives in his talk, "The Importance of Historical Reassessment."

Several panel discussions and workshops will be held over the three days of the festival, which concludes on December 15. Tomorrow's discussions will include topics such as "Heritage and Cultural Identity: The Role of Technology, "The Role of the Brahmaputra River in Assam's Diverse Society," "Transforming Journal- ism: Credibility and Reliability," and "Beyond Entertainment: The Role of Cinema in Shaping Societal Values."