27th March, 2021 The Ocean Pearl, Kodialbail, Mangaluru
The Idea of Bharat Mangaluru Lit Fest is an attempt to showcase the relevance of ancient Indian Wisdom of Peace, Brotherhood & Universal Well-being through intellectual discourse.
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MlrLitFest
Sessions
Moderator
Panelists
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Dr. Nanda Kishor M S
Vikram Sood
Shakti Sinha
Prof. Madhav Nalapat
Dr Rohinaksha Shirlalu
Dr Anandappa Jogi
Satyabodha Joshi
Mangala Siddi
Dr. K P Nandan Prabhu
Vikram Sampath
Dr. Dharma P L
Ritika Acharya
Samarth Rao
Suneel Puranik
Suchendra Prasad
Abhishek Iyengar
Harsha Bhat
Sai Swaroopa Iyer
Vasundhara Desai Mahapurush
Aravindan Neelakandan
Rohith Chakrathirtha
Dr B V Vasanth Kumar
Dr Girish Bhat Ajakkala
Lakshminarayana Kajagadde
Dattesh D Prabhu-Parulekar
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Sheshadri Chari
Inauguration
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he cherished values of Dharma practised through multiple generations in Bharat, deriving strength from the rich cultural ethos of the country as well as its progressive thought that held values in families, society and between nations untainted, have a great deal of contribution to make in the global context. In her ascent up the ranks, to reclaim the glory she once boasted of, and in her mission to be the Vishwaguru once again, Bharat is at an inflexion point. As a society, as a country, as a cultural beacon, as one of the largest producers of Cinema, art and music, as a global political and economic power, we are at the cusp of realising and redefining what it means to be a global superpower. Positioned at this time in global History, we look at Reimagining the Idea of Bharat. The confluence of thoughts and ideas, unhindered by what seemed to be one of the darkest phases in the History of the modern World, the coronavirus pandemic – was inaugurated on
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the 27th of March, 2021, in The Ocean Pearl, Mangaluru. The Mangaluru Literary Foundation organised the third edition of what has now become one of the premier Literature Festivals in India with its' Knowledge partners – The Mythic Society and NITTE. Mr Sunil Kulkarni welcomed the gathering of 200 invitees in the hall, along with the 6 Group viewings that were taking place around the state and all virtual viewers following the day's events via various online streams. Dr Shakti Sinha, IAS, former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, joined by Dr Nanda Kishore MS, Head, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, MAHE and Mr Prasanna MR from The Mythic Society inaugurated the event by lighting a lamp. Mr Suneel Puranik, Chairperson, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, Dr BV Vasanth Kumar, Kannada Sahitya Academy and Dr Ajakkala Girish Bhat, Chairperson, Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati, also joined them on stage.
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Session 1
Post Pandemic Narratives: Reimagining the India Way
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oderated by Dr Nandakishore M S, with Mr Shakti Sinha, IAS in physical attendance and Mr Vikram Sood, former Director, R&AW, Dr M D Nalapat, and Dr Dattesh D Prabhu-Parulekar joining in virtually, was the first panel discussion of the day – Post Pandemic Narratives: Reimagining the India Way. Setting the stage for the many discussions that were to come, the session's mood was palpable. Where is the 'India Way', with a resurgent interest in its sure shift from a norm taker into a norm giver, in the last few years leading us? The once 'reluctant philanthropist' now takes an active part in the agenda-setting, and now no major event in the World takes place without India being party to it. The reimagining prioritises a prosperous, shared national interest in the larger global context. It conducts itself without putting
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As nations, the two couldn't be further apart in their handling of the crisis. While one let the virus spread globally while very well knowing its ramifications and tried to keep information hidden by exploiting its absolute power in the state, the other engaged in providing proactive aid to its own people and the rest of the World, showcasing India's intentions and heart.
others down, echoing what our forefathers said when setting the country's foundation. Mr Shakti Sinha, a celebrated civil servant and a scholar beyond excellence with authoritative works published on Patel and Vajpayee stressed the importance of great leaders being at the helm of nations as they pass through certain inflexion points over the course of History that chart the future for them. Post-1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, civilisation moved from being Bipolar to being America-centric. For 17 years, it remained, but the economic crisis of 2008 showed that America could be challenged. In the last many years, India has stepped up and shown spine, opined Dr Sinha, and that sets it apart from countries like China that has grabbed others land, stomping on people's foot, creating land in the oceans and militarising them. When it came to Covid, an unprecedented event in modern human History, great courage was shown by going into a strong lockdown, then later in opening up and taking things forward with an eye on the scientific information available at that time. Although in modern times, when there is so much clutter, it is difficult for world leaders to carefully come up with a well-worked theory that can work for all domestic and foreign engagement, like leaders of the past did, an India that is courageous, firm, patient, and veers clear of foolishness and brings out in bits and pieces a growth model, is a game-changer. A supplier of global goods, peace and stability at the forefront of development engagement, coupled with the AtmaNirbhar sentiment gripping the country tight and veering it towards self-sufficiency and a sense of responsibility towards itself and the World, starkly different from the way other global powers emerged, the nation is well on its way to realising the status of Vishwaguru that many greats dreamed for it. For a nation, greatness is never given as charity, said Mr VikranSood. It has to work for it and overcome obstacles, both from friends and rivals. How your control your narrative in the global context, makes for more than what military prowess, advancements in technology and economy can give you. The narrative propagated by ideas, literature, news, and media support what that country wants to tell you about its superiority, even when it may not be so. In comparison, we might have to start from scratch. We need to revisit our ancient past and relook our true modern History and then build the narrative for us. Our story can not come from the west; it should come from home, shared Mr Sood. Narratives may not always be based on truth; they are tactical truths and take the national interests forward.
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A History that spans across the last 6000 years with a strong civilisational roots and a liberal approach to society that India can boast of finds no mention in our schoolbooks, that have instead decided to dwell largely on the last 600 years, lamented Dr MD Nalapat while making his submission to the discussion. As a consequence, the eurocentric narrative has demeaned the confidence of Indians. The New Education Policy is a step in the right direction to change and reorient this narrative towards Indian History and Heroes, celebrating them as part of our rich heritage. While the Romans have Ceasar, and the Greeks have Alexander, Indian heroes are relegated as myths and have not been rescued from that status. The Indian cultural DNA is a composite of the Vedic, the Mughal and the Western. The focus has today shifted beyond the six hundred more towards the six thousand while at the same time having a clear eye towards the future where India is seen no more as a part of the problem but as a part of the solution. Echoing what Mr Sood said, Dr Nalapat traced UK's, US's and China's path to becoming global powers – the UK built a colonial empire, the US built a business empire across the World, China is building a different kind of empire, one that runs on the whims of the Chinese Communist Party. India offers a unique vision, exemplified by Vasudeva Kutumbakam and stands strong as a leader the World can rally behind without the fear of exploitation. As nations, the two couldn't be further apart in their handling of the crisis. While one let the virus spread globally while very well knowing its ramifications and tried to keep information hidden by exploiting its absolute power in the state, the other engaged in providing proactive aid to its own people and the rest of the World, showcasing India's intentions and heart. India has a long way to go, and China will try its best to kneecap India in its efforts to grow. We are nowhere close to the top in terms of economy, whilst countries like Bangladesh continue to grow and prosper each year, and the Chinese Communist Party would like to keep it that way. If we take advantage of this pandemic, like the way China took the benefits of the Cold War, we can reach the same level of progress that China has. Dr Dattesh Prabhu-Parulekar, a renowned International Relations Strategy Academician and an Assistant Professor with Goa University, flagged interesting points of note about how the pandemic's situation unfolded in the global sphere. While countries such as China and the US faced questions on if they will indulge in Vaccine Nationalism or Vaccine Hegemony when it finally is developed, never was such a question posed to India, which is supposed to be the vaccine capital of the World. This speaks not
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just of capacity, but the depth of the country's moral leadership. It is interesting to note that this question of instrumentalising vaccines in a predatory way has never been come up in any questions to India as it has for others. India's articulation of the narrative in its foreign policy today reinforces its commitment to furthering the cause of the global south without leaving any of the smaller countries behind and showing no reluctance of speaking up and taking strong stances in global forums that dictate the course of action the World follows. We are capable of taking our seat at the high table and doing it with confidence. Prime Minister Modi's speeches at the G20 Summit and UN General Assembly have brought important issues such as Black Money and the Institutionalisation of Yoga shows its power and control over its narrative on a global stage. India, over the last seven years, has taken ownership and redefined and cartographically reimagined our geography and where we stand as a South Asian, pan-Asian and global power and where we are headed in the near future both, in the heartland and in maritime expanses. India leveraging its civilisational power and relationships with all these countries around it, has the ability to be at the epicentre of geopolitics and geo-civilisational relations between the nations of the World. Speaking about the so-called global powers' and their responses during the pandemic, he said while countries like the UK and US started scrambling to stockpile resources, the first thing India did was to convene a SAARC Summit and strategise a response for the diaspora as a whole because the leadership on a moral level feels 'no one is safe till everybody is safe.'India's answer to Chinese aggression at the wake of the pandemic was quite unique as well, not taking a backfoot like countries such as Vietnam, Japan or Australia, but actively engaging in a skirmish and a standoff at Galwan while at the same time acknowledging China's status as the big economy in the region and not cutting off ties altogether. In his concluding remarks, Dr Kishore acknowledged all the pointed arguments submitted by the panelists and summarised that 'power respects power' as enunciated in the developments of the recent past, and in no place are soft power and hard power in conflict, always being complementary. When it comes to International Relations, countries with hard-power such as China and the US always supercede countries like New Zealand and Bhutan and India's inclusion into that club was spearheaded by Prime Minister Vajpayee's decision to make India a nuclear power and that is what has brought us here.
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Session 2
Nelada Baashe, ManadaMaathu: Nava Bhaaratakke Desi Sogadu (The Language of the Land, The Musings of the Mind: The Desi Flavour for a New India)
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he second Session of the Mangaluru Literature Festival succeeded a riveting panel on Geopolitics and the Global Narrative on India, bringing it much closer back home to Karnataka and its local flavours.Before the session, the renowned poet and Jnanapith Awardee Dr Da Ra Bendre and his contributions to Kannada Literature was acknowledged. With a tribute to him on his 125th Birth Year, the panel convened to discuss the conservation and celebration of local and vernacular traditions, art, nemo-cultures and their future in today's increasingly global society. Moderated by Dr RohinakshaShirlalu from the Central University of Karnataka, the panel focussed on taking a step back and relooking at how the civilisation has handled its own culture and traditions while keeping up with the World and its advancements. The panel's discussions primed towards finding the global narratives in the local creatives and seeing how preserving and celebrating them will take us into the new century. They may seem different at the
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Preservation isn't as difficult as it seems. Educating and encouraging the tribal youth goes a long way. Teachers and Educators respectfully recognising the uniqueness and encouraging tribal children to share their customs and practices in a positive environment create confidence and a cycle of knowledge that will spread far and wide.
outset, but on a deeper level, they echo the same sentiments and are applicable World over. Folk Literature is one of the richest and so far untouched forms of literature available. The philosophy in great works of poetry and prose gaining accolades around the World, can be found in the houses of rural India in equally beautiful lines by the woman who instils good values in her child before heading off to work in the fields for the day. Dr Anandappa Jogi, Professor at Karnataka Janapada University started off the discussion by bringing up India's global 'vaccine diplomacy' that is being touted as a significant step in International Relations. Adivasis, Hunter-Gatherers and Tribals in any pocket of Bharat, as a philosophy follow sharing the spoils of the hunt. Every being that took part, right from the hunter who caught the animal to his wife who oiled his spear, to the dog who sniffed out the prey, gets an equal share. This is the beyond-borders philosophy that thrives in our villages and forests. The World's first cultures are from nature, from the tribals, and the folk, before the dawn of the alphabet. Mr Satyabodha Joshi, Creative Head of Asianet Suvarna took forward the discussion with an impassionate case made towards the disparity in attention and courtesy extended towards Western thoughts and ideas coming out as poetryand prose while those composed in Bharat eons ago, lie untouched. When Odysseus went on his maritime campaigns, and the Kauravas and Pandavas met on the Kurukshetra, what was happening in the home of a humble fisherman as his wife sang a lullaby to his child - This is theNeladaMaathu, he reiterates, and we do not hear it speak anymore. The people in the many pockets of all parts of the country have saved in their customs. Still, unfortunately for all the technology we have, we have not been able to recreate and preserve in our cameras and other media. Lamenting the non-existence of films and documentaries talking about our culture, customs, folk art forms, Mr Joshi tried to probe deeper into the question of why. While there is no shortage of talent or technical expertise in filmmaking in India, nothing is talking about India in the way it is supposed to be. "How much the regions have captured over the centuries that the cameras haven't captured," he asks. "Even if there are, how many of us have watched it?" This is the call of the time, adds Mangala Siddi, folk artist from the Siddi Community in the forests of North Karnataka. The Siddi Community is one that has traditionally been safeguarding all its
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culture. But the fear of globalisation and the replacement of all that is ours is real. What couldn't be documented with cameras by the modern generation, thrives in simple songs composed by children taking many forms in their tryst with time and passed down to today. In days past, she reminisces, children aged 5 would do their bit to preserve songs and dance, but today is a constant tussle with the Western Dance form and ours is seen as archaic. This creates two different narratives within a house that transcends age and is at most times a conflict of ideals, more than any effort to conserve or modernise. You could see Siddi folks, young and old wearing a unique dress code, that is inherently ours. Today, you don't see them at all. While one does not need to question the comfort and accessibility of modern clothes, the woe of losing that which is traditional hits hard, she added. When it comes to music, the Siddi music is one untouched by accompanying instruments, save for a few drums and woodwind instruments made from readily available forest resources. While modernity inherently is not wrong, the mixing of the two dramatically undermines the character and value of the native songs and instruments. Add to that, the fact the Government or Academia has never made any effort to preserve or document this, we will see a slow and sure death of this culture. Preservation isn't as difficult as it seems. Educating and encouraging the tribal youth goes a long way. Teachers and Educators respectfully recognising the uniqueness and encouraging tribal children to share their customs and practices in a positive environment create confidence and a cycle of knowledge that will spread far and wide. A few minutes spent regularly discussing the customs and traditions of everyone reiterating the uniqueness of each of India's many local cultures is one of the best ways of keeping them alive as opposed to forceful indoctrination. Technology brings to us peculiar problems. When a video of the village customs is made over smartphones and without completely understanding or appreciating the context, the mockery is directed at the centuries-old practices of that particular culture! Weddings
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that once took place over 5 days, with each day meaning something is over in 5 minutes today. Two generations later, everything is forgotten. In the age of pizzas and burgers, today's children don't know of the jaggery, rice, and the culinary delights of rural India. Discussing the rationale behind the strength owed to desi ghee, Dr Jogi said it lies in the process with which it is made. The chemistry of the recipe lies in the folk songs sung in the evenings. While it is often understood that education enhances qualification, the reality seems to be quite the opposite. We see the modern humangrowing a narrow-minded view in analytical reasoning,especially regarding the nemocultures and grow to be unempathetic towards anything inherent and not defined by modern standards of rationalism, states Dr Jogi, invoking folk songs to reiterate his statements. Janapadas, are the ones with their innate philosophy challenge the limitations of Modern Science. Celebrate World Folklore Day, Celebrate World Tribal Day. These must be popularised. Folklore studies should be made a University subject. "Out of frame is out of mind. No," says Mr Joshi in conclusion. This is the very notion that must be challenged and revisited as we reimagine the Idea of Bharat.
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£É®zÀ ¨sÁµÉ, ªÀÄ£ÀzÀ ªÀiÁvÀÄ JgÀqÀ£Éà UÉÆö×AiÀÄ°è `£É®zÀ ¨sÁµÉ, ªÀÄ£ÀzÀ ªÀiÁvÀÄ : £ÀªÀ¨sÁgÀvÀPÉ zÉùà ¸ÉÆUÀqÀÄ §UÉÎ C¨sÁåUÀvÀgÀÄ «ZÁgÀ ªÀÄAr¹zÀgÀÄ. UÉÆö×AiÀÄ£ÀÄß qÁ. gÉÆûuÁPÀë ²¯Áð®Ä CªÀgÀÄ £ÀqɹPÉÆlÖgÀÄ. ºÁªÉÃj eÁ£À¥ÀzÀ ««AiÀÄ qÁ. D£ÀAzÀ¥Àà ©. JZï. eÉÆÃV ªÀiÁvÀ£Ár, ºÀAa GtÄÚªÀ ¥ÀzÀÞw £ÀªÀÄä°è PÀrªÉÄ DUÀÄwÛªÉAiÀiÁ? JA§ aAvÀ£É ªÀiÁqÀ¨ÉÃPÁVzÉ. zÉùà JA§ÄzÀÄ ¤¸ÀUÀð fëUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ¸ÀÆa¸ÀÄvÀÛzÉ. EªÀgÀ°è ºÀAa w£ÀÄߪÀ ¸ÉƧUÀ£ÀÄß £ÁªÀÅ UÀªÀĤ¸À§ºÀÄzÀÄ. C°è ¨ÉÃzsÀ«gÀ°®è. J®èjUÀÆ ¥Á°vÀÄÛ. zÉùà d£ÀgÀ°è CAvÀºÀ C£ÉÆåãÀåvÉ EvÀÄÛ. CzÀ£ÀÄß UËgÀ«¸À¨ÉÃPÁVzÉ. zÉùà »£É߯ÉAiÀÄ M¼ÀUÉƼÀÄî«PÉAiÀÄ, £ÉgÀªÁUÀĪÀ ªÀÄÆ®PÀªÉà £ÁªÀÅ F ¸ÀAPÀµÀÖªÀ£ÀÄß JzÀÄj¸À§ºÀÄzÁVzÉ. ªÀiÁ£À«ÃAiÀÄvÉAiÀÄ ªÀÄÄAzÉ AiÀiÁªÀ zsÀªÀÄð ¸ÀºÀ ªÀÄÄRåªÀ®è. ¸ÀªÁ°UÉ EzÉà GvÀgÛ À JAzÀÄ C©ü¥ÁæAiÀÄ ªÀåPÀ¥ Û r À ¹zÀgÄÀ . «±ÀézÀ ªÉÆlÖªÆ É zÀ® ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw ¤¸ÀUðÀ , d£À¥z À À ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw JAzÀÄ w½¹zÀgÄÀ . eÁ£À¥ÀzÀ «±ÉõÀªÁzÀzÀÄÝ. CzÀPÉÌ MAzÀÄ »£Éß¯É EzÉ. EªÉ®èzÀgÀ §UÉÎAiÀÄÆ d£À¥ÀzÀzÀ°è £ÁªÀÅ PÀxÉ, ºÁqÀÄUÀ¼À£ÀÄß UÀªÄÀ ¤¸À§ºÀÄzÀÄ. EzÉ®è zÉùà DºÁgÀzAÀ vÉ. EzÀ£ÄÀ ß ¸Éë¹zÀ°è ªÀiÁvÀæ F ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw, PÀ¯É G½AiÀÄ®Ä ¸ÁzsåÀ JAzÀÄ D£ÀAzÀ¥Àà ºÉýzÀgÀÄ. ªÀiÁ£À«ÃAiÀÄ ªÀiË®åUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ºÉaѸÀĪÀ, ºÀÈzÀAiÀÄ ªÉʱÁ®åªÀ£ÀÄß ¨É¼É¹PÉƼÀÄîªÀ PÉ®¸ÀªÁUÀ¨ÉÃPÀÄ JAzÀÄ ºÉýzÀgÄÀ . £ÀªÄÀ äzÄÀ ªÉÊeÁÕ¤PÀªÁV aAvÀ£É £Àq¸ É ÄÀ ªÀ ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw. F ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw £ÀªÄÀ ä »jAiÀÄgÁzÀ d£À¥z À gÀ ° À v è ÄÀ Û JAzÀÄ w½¹zÀgÄÀ . ¨sÁgÀvz À À ¸ÀA«zsÁ£Àz° À Aè iÀÄÆ d£À¥z À ª À £ À ÄÀ ß UÀªÄÀ ¤¸À§ºÀÄzÀÄ. ¸Áé«Ä «ªÉÃPÁ£ÀAzÀgÆ À d£À¥z À z À À §UÉÎ ªÀiÁvÀ£ÁrzÁÝgÉ. EzÀÄ ¥ÁgÀA¥ÀjPÀ eÁÕ£À ¤ÃqÀÄvÀÛzÉ JAzÀÄ CªÀgÀÄ w½¹zÁÝgÉ. KµÁå£Émï ¸ÀĪÀtð ¨ÉAUÀ¼Æ À gÀÄ EzÀgÀ QæAiÉÄÃnªï ºÉqï DVgÀĪÀ ¸ÀvåÀ ¨ÉÆÃzsÀ eÉÆò ªÀiÁvÀ£Ár, vÁAwæPvÀ ¬ É ÄAzÀ ºÉaÑ£À «ZÁgÀU¼ À £ À ÄÀ ß zÁR°ÃPÀj¹qÀ®Ä, ¸ÀªiÀ ÁdPÉÌ AiÀiÁªÀÅzÀ£Æ É ßà ¸ÀÄ®¨sª À ÁV vÀ®Ä¦¸ÀĪÀ ¤nÖ£° À è ªÀÄÄRåªÁUÀÄvÀz Û .É AiÀiÁªÀÅzÀ£ÄÀ ß ªÀĺÁPÁªÀåUÀ¼° À è UÀÄgÀÄw¸À¯ÁV®èªÇÉ Ã CªÀÅUÀ¼£ À ÄÀ ß d£À¥z À gÀ ÄÀ UÀÄgÀÄw¹zÁÝg.É EzÀ£ÄÀ ß zÁR°ÃPÀj¸À®Ä ¸ÁzsÀå«zÉ. UÉÆwÛ®èzÀ ºÀ®ªÀÅ PÀxÉUÀ¼ÀÄ d£À¥ÀzÀzÀ ªÀÄÆ®PÀ w½AiÀÄĪÀÅzÀÄ ¸ÁzsÀå«zÉ. CzÀÄ F £É®zÀ ªÀiÁvÀÄ. d£À¥ÀzÀ ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw, DZÁgÀ, «ZÁgÀ, DZÀgÀuÉUÀ¼ÀÄ F £É®zÀ ªÀiÁvÀÄ. EzÀ£ÀÄß PÀÆrqÀĪÀ PÉ®¸ÀªÀ£ÀÄß ªÀiÁqÀĪÀ vÀÄvÀÄð £ÀªÀÄäzÁUÀ¨ÉÃPÀÄ JAzÀÄ C©ü¥ÁæAiÀÄ ªÀåPÀÛ¥Àr¹zÀgÀÄ. £É®zÀ ªÀiÁvÁVgÀĪÀ d£À¥ÀzÀ ªÀiÁzsÀåªÀĪÀ£ÀÄß d£ÀjUÉ vÀ®Ä¦¸ÀĪÀ, zÁR°¸ÀĪÀ PÉ®¸ÀªÀ£ÀÄß ªÀiÁzsÀåªÀÄUÀ¼ÀÄ ªÀiÁqÀ¨ÉÃQzÉ JAzÀÄ w½¹zÀgÀÄ. £ÁªÀÅ K£ÀÄ, £ÀªÀÄä ¸ÉƧUÉãÀÄ JA§ÄzÀ£ÀÄß CjAiÀÄĪÀ ¤nÖ£À°è £ÀªÀÄä ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈwAiÀÄ zÁR°ÃPÀgÀtªÁUÀ¨ÉÃQzÉ. JµÉÆÖà ªÀĺÁPÁªÀåUÀ¼ÀÄ, ¥ÀĸÀÛPÀUÀ¼ÀÄ ºÉüÀzÀ «ZÁgÀUÀ¼À£ÀÄß d£À¥ÀzÀzÀ ªÀÄÆ®PÀ w½AiÀħºÀÄzÀÄ. CzÀ£ÀÄß ªÀÄÄA¢£À d£ÁAUÀPÌÉ w½¸À®Ä zÁR°ÃPÀgt À ¥ÀQæ Aæ iÉÄ ªÀÄÄRåªÁUÀÄvÀz Û É JAzÀÄ C©ü¥ÁæAiÀÄ ªÀåPÀ¥ Û r À ¹zÀgÄÀ . F §UÉÎ AiÀÄĪÀd£ÀvÉ UÀªÄÀ £ÀºjÀ ¸À¨ÃÉ QzÉ, D EZÉÒ ¨É¼AÉ iÀĨÉÃPÁVzÉ JAzÀÄ CªÀgÄÀ ºÉýzÀgÄÀ . d£À¥z À gÀ À £É¯UÉ ÃÉ ºÉÆÃV D ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈwAiÀÄ£ÀÄß G½¸ÀĪÀ ¤nÖ£À°è PÁAiÀÄð £ÀqÉAiÀĨÉÃPÀÄ. EzÀÄ EA¢£À vÀÄvÀÄð JAzÀÄ w½¹zÀgÀÄ. eÁ£À¥z À À PÀ¯Á«zÉ ªÀÄAUÀ¼Á ¹¢Ý CªÀgÄÀ ªÀiÁvÀ£Ár, F ¸ÀªiÀ ÁdzÀ £É®zÀ ªÀiÁvÀ£ÄÀ ß G½¸ÀĪÀ PÉ®¸Àª£ À ÄÀ ß »jAiÀÄgÀÄ ªÀiÁrzÁÝg.É DzsÄÀ ¤PÀvAÉ iÀÄ ¨sgÀ ÁmÉAiÀÄ°è d£À¥z À À JA§ÄzÀÄ PÀ¼z É ÄÀ ºÉÆÃUÀÄvÀÛz.É CzÀ£ÄÀ ß G½¸ÀĪÀ ¤nÖ£° À è PÁAiÀÄð £ÀqÉAiÀĨÉÃPÀÄ. DzsÀĤPÀ ²PÀëtzÀ eÉÆvÉUÉ £ÀªÀÄä ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw, £ÀªÀÄä ¥ÀgÀA¥ÀgÉ, £ÀªÀÄä £É®zÀ ¸ÉÆUÀqÁVgÀĪÀ d£À¥ÀzÀªÀ£ÀÄß ¨É¼É¸ÀĪÀ PÉ®¸À ªÀiÁqÀ¨ÉÃPÀÄ. DUÀ EªÀÅUÀ¼À G½ªÀÅ ¸ÁzsÀå JAzÀÄ C©ü¥ÁæAiÀÄ ªÀåPÀÛ¥Àr¹zÀgÀÄ. d£À¥ÀzÀªÀ£ÀÄß zÁR°ÃPÀgÀt ªÀiÁqÀĪÀ PÉ®¸ÀªÁUÀ¨ÉÃPÀÄ JAzÀÄ £ÀÄrzÀgÀÄ. £É®zÀ ¸ÀA¸ÀÌöÈw ªÉÄgÉAiÀĨÉÃPÁzÀªÀgÀÄ ªÀÄgÉAiÀÄÄwÛzÉÝêÉ. ¨ÉÃgÉAiÉÄà ¯ÉÆÃPÀzÀ°è §zÀÄPÀÄwÛzÉÝêÉ. EzÀÄ C¥ÁAiÀÄzÀ ¸À¤ßªÉñÀªÉÇÃ, ¸ÀªÁ¯ÉÆà JA§ÄzÀÄ EA¢£À ¥Àæ±Éß. EzÀPÉÌ GvÀÛgÀ £É®zÀ ªÀiÁvÁzÀ d£À¥ÀzÀzÀ°è ¹UÀÄvÀÛzÉ. CªÀ£ÀÄß G½¸À¨ÉÃPÀÄ JAzÀÄ «ZÁgÀ ¸ÀAQÃtðzÀ ¸ÀªÀÄ£ÀéAiÀÄPÁgÀ gÉÆûuÁPÀë ²¯Áð®Ä w½¹zÀgÀÄ. 14
Session 3
Azadi ke 75 Saal: Swarajya Then and Now
T
he reimagining that began with India and its impact in the World post-pandemic, made a pitstop at the houses and huts of Tribal and Folk Bharat, discussing their culture and positioning as the antecedent of the modern World. In the 3rd session of the day, it was time to discuss India and its evolution through the 75 years of Independence and reimagine what being independent – Swaraj as our freedom fighters dreamt and how that idea has set in motion the events of the last 75 years. Swarajya interpreted in ordinary terms, means Self Rule, but in Shri Aurobindo's words, Swarajya was not just political Independence but one aimed at the self-preservation of culture and identity that has great things to offer to the World. India since Independence has elements of a Westernized India and an Indigenous Bharat, a composite culture, said Dr Nandan Prabhu setting the context for the discussion. The Idea of the Akhanda Bharat, invoked by Shri Aurobindo on the 15th of August, dreaming of a day when the landmass that has since been divided into
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There has been a very monochromatic and parochial narrative set for what is it that has got India our freedom, disregarding the multiple phases in the freedom struggle, said Dr Sampath. Even after 75 years, we haven't been able to conclusively measure the pulse of what it was that got us our freedom.
many different countries was one articulated with some ferocity by the Jan Sangh. In the modern political landscape, we rarely hear this. Is this idea still relevant, asked Dr Prabhu. Although the idea was very much alive and in the discussion for inclusion, the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee advised veering clear of including it in the agenda, said Dr Sheshadri Chari recalling an interesting anecdote that took place. Akhand Bharat, if it made its way into the Constitution of the Jan Sangh, would never be accepted by any other political party. Hence, to avoid it being a political-partisan contention and wanting it to be an idea that is to be acceptable to all parties, it remained as a concept in theory, never appearing in the paper. While modern India in its current form is 75 years old, as a civilisation and a culture, we are much older. The idea of Bharat, the concept of Swarajya and even the name India existed long before the geopolitical landmass was carved out and designated as such. The narrative should be set clearly as such. Sabhyata – Civilisation and Sanskriti – Culture are different from each other; while the former unites India, the latter diversifies her, giving credence to the oft recalled phrase – Unity in Diversity. The Geography of Bharat, has been ever-changing. Right from 1935 when Burma was made Independent, through 1947 with the Partition and later in 1971 with the creation of Bangladesh. While Geography has gone through its many transitions, it has no effect on the country's History or worldview. He further illustrated his point by alluding to the USSR and its' political theory. The colossal landmass was built and united by the principles of Karl Marx – a man who never once set foot in Russia, or predict Communism for Russia. But Russia as a civilisation extended far beyond the political constraints of Communism or the geographical boundaries of the USSR. Post Disintegration, what Russia represents remains a question unanswered. Rapid Militarisation, and harsh economic pressure that was adopted as a response to the US, led to its financial breakdown, and the World hasn't been the same since. Akhand Bharat as a concept similarly has two aspects. The culture and the History of the idea and the geographic boundaries. While the latter is ever-changing, the former is unchanging and is independent of whatever happens today or in the future. That was what Yogi Shri Aurobindo spoke of, said Dr Chari concluding his submission, and that through Lit Fests such as these needs to reach the young and set the narrative for the future. India, in this sense, has a lot to offer to the World, the philosophy of one-ness,
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not as a reply or response to anyone else doing anything. The response is to the spirit and not to the word as the Word killeth and the Spirit reviveth. Author and Historian Dr Vikram Sampath was posed with an exciting question. Moment to moment narratives, adopted by countries to rationalise certain actions, stand in stark contrast to Grand Narratives adopted to set the stage for more significant decisions and activities that aren't agenda specific. What would be India's Grand Narrative after 75 years and beyond? There has been a very monochromatic and parochial narrative set for what is it that has got India our freedom, disregarding the multiple phases in the freedom struggle, said Dr Sampath. Even after 75 years, we haven't been able to conclusively measure the pulse of what it was that got us our freedom. Was it just the World War, was it the many mutinies that sprung up in different parts of the Armed Forces, or the heroic actions of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and the INA, or the Quit India Movement that was quietly petering down back home? For India, with all its multiplicity in everything, could not have had a freedom struggle that we can pin down to one. Similarly, freedom as an idea also has multiple layers, and one needs to look no further than Swami Vivekananda, who conceptialized a freedom that was beyond political – was social, cultural spiritual, one that brought in the soft-power of India without having to resort to swords and guns. A document unearthed recently, composed by the stalwarts of the Hindu Mahasabha, much-maligned as the progenitor of the Jan Sangh or the RSS, was the Constitution of Free Hindustan, one that lends it ideas to the one we follow today after much debate in the Assembly. Written many years before the Constitution of India was drafted, we see Savarkar's idea of a Hindu Rashtra beyond discriminations of religion, caste, creed and community, beyond differences in language and culture, reappearing, carrying over the ethos of India. When we assess what it is that we have achieved, political freedom is something that comes first in the pecking order. Social, Cultural and Spiritual Freedom are yet to be achieved in the spirit of Swrajya. The decolonisation of minds remains an unrealised dream. The Constitution which was a crystallised touchstone of the hotly contested debates in the assembly, in its very first amendment saw the curtailment of free speech carrying over a very colonial construct, a far cry from the plural society we were touted to be. Acknowledging the need to question the narrative
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that has been bulldozed down our heads for generations and seeing the freedom movement and the theories and ideologies that influenced it again shows the multiplicity of the country, and that is something that is to be celebrated rather than suppressed, postulated Dr Sampath. The very fact that such a diverse country that was written off by the World which thought it would collapse unto itself has thrived and grown over the last 75 years while its largely monolithic neighbours stall behind is an ode to the Indian ethos, one that will carry us far. Pointing out the curious case of Political Science and Economics being taught as separate disciplines in modern times, Dr Prabhu invited Dr Dharma P L's thoughts on the merits of India's administrative governance, its evolution, the need for revisiting it and whether it is possible to develop a Universal theory of Governance combining the economics and politics postulated by both, the right and the left. What part does the state play in this, and how do we not get caught up in the hazy western ideals of left and right in deciding what is best for India. Dr Dharma complimenting the previous speakers and how the discussions that were taking place during breaks among the audience expressed his happiness on the idea of Swa going in the right direction through the event. The parliamentary institutions that have been inherited through the History and culture of the land and the British influence has led to us having one of the finest parliamentary democracies in the World. This justly represents the Swa in the Swarajya. On careful observation of the parliamentary procedure, there is no concept of an individual;instead, it is the collective around which it is designed. However, inadequate understanding and appreciation of Swa lead to corrupted interpretationsabout their religion, community, caste,among others. The ideas of the Left and Right may have had their origins in the west and borrowed into India in whatever form, good or bad, they are ideas that build political theory nonetheless. When propagated publicly, both should agree on the premise that the proposal should take utmost care as not to damage the overarching idea of India. An alternative viewpoint is one of the basic tenets of the parliamentary democracy, without which there would be no room for introspection. Truth is measured in its veracity only when compared against falsehood. Without the opposing political theory, one wouldn't know where we err, but as long as we keep to the larger Indian ideal, we have all the ability in the World within the exemplary system our founding fathers set out for us.
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Having decisively established that Modern India stands firmly on the cultural foundation that our History has given us, and the modern thinking that we have evolved post Independence, a plural society such as India, one had both genders building institutions of equal importance stands at a unique inflexion point. While the west propagated Gender Equality as its women-centric narrative, does India fall into the same category, or do we have something new to offer, was the question posed to Ms Ritika Acharya, Journalist and Founder of Bharat Voice.
Questioning established norms and institutions is something that comes as part of the rebellious nature of the Young. Although very desi in their spirit, the bright lights of the west do appeal to them. It is left to us to approach this attitude with an open mind trying to decipher meaning from the questions. Working with the youth is like a project and there needs to be a lot of time spent and questions asked to promote independent thinking. Women in India are strong and empowered and do not need the west to show them an ideal place for Women in society. The symbiosis of science and culture in India, coupled with the inherent rationalism in our traditions, can bring the best out of a young Indian. Feminism has its place in the Western World, strengthening a woman's place in a household and thereby in society. In India, with a worldview where women ruled countries, it is not a need for validation through gender equality but an effort to work with the institutions built by men, without taking this ideal to toxic levels by apeing the west is what Bharat can teach the World.
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Session 4
Exploring Indian Identity through Cinema s the largest producer of feature films in the World, the sphere of influence films have in Indian society is enormous. A civilisation with a rich history of storytelling in various forms, Indian-ness in its films has been an evolving idea. Since the first Indian film released in 1914, how has the cinema medium of storytelling evolved, was the topic for the afternoon session of the Literature Festival moderated by eminent young Screen Writer, Mr Samarth Rao.
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Suchendra Prasad, a renowned Actor, Playwright and Director, commented on the impact of societal, intellectual and academic prowess that Cinema has inseminated in the minds of the population in all its years of existence while maintaining its spirit as a form of entertainment. While the merits are many, we do fall short in a few places. But Lit Fests such as these are a stage for introspection and the most appropriate places where we take a long look and work on them to bring out better Cinema and in extension, art. Mr Suneel Puranik, another eminent Actor, Producer and the Chairperson of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, congratulated the Tulu Film Industry, for completing 50 years and gaining more steam and traction, especially in the last decade bringing in a lot of eyes to the Karnataka Film Scene and increasing its prestige and honour. Mr Puranik took us
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Observing the recent trends primarily in OTT platforms, which is fast becoming a dominant alternative for Cinema and content, we see Nationalism as the hot topic with various levels of representation and, at times, misrepresentation of India.
back to the early days of Cinema where the producing house or Combines bore the name and image of a deity that connected us to our roots. Today, that is rarely seen. While that does not mean that modern films are not rooted in our culture, that is a transition we have come to see. Regional films have had their ups and downs, but in the recent past with the technology of dubbing and subtitling, we are garnering more eyes all over. Puranic and Indic films and TV Serials are also mounting a comeback, seeing us go back to our roots. Cinema is an extension of Theatre, remarked Mr Abhishek Iyengar, Playwright and Actor. But the Indian-ness that is a staple of Theatre is expressed lesser these days in films, for better or for worse. The reason for this largely seems to be the interpretation of literature – call it parallel History or imaginative History. Reading the documentation that exists and employing the artistic licence to put the creator's own spin on it makes for good entertainment in various forms but probably sets a false narrative for today's youth. Indian-ness in Cinema today is slandered as regressive hyper-nationalism and the woke-culture propagated by modern content creators. The grammar of Cinema has changed to great lengths today, going from big screens in cinema halls to smaller screens in homes, and then to handhelds in our pockets and in this transition, we lost what we had, and now we try to reimagine it after losing sight of what was important somewhere down the line, added Mr Iyengar. Now is the time to understand this complex balance and set the right kind of mindset for future creators. There is a collective ignorance in not being able to understand the whats and hows of the right kind of films, leading to sensationalist films that grab a headline or two and are all noise, no substance. India has kept Cinema as a visual medium and not stressed enough on the writing part of the film, unfortunately. It's a puzzling question to many, how can you write a Cinema? Probably when a day comes where Cinema is written, we will get to see Cinema that is well made, opined Mr Iyengar. There is a dichotomy in films made in or about India. On the one hand, we have films that show India as a third world country full of slums and archaic practices that are the root of all problems, winning Oscars for it. Simultaneouly, there are beautiful stories of the soil told and winning well-deserved accolades for it, says Mr Suneel Puranik. We see the informed decisions by the audience while consuming Cinema these days, especially in the last decade or so. Why did it take so long for a story like Tashkent Files to come
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out, he questions, stressing the need for more nationalistic Cinema to be brought to the fore. Probing into the award culture that has seemed to grip Indian Cinema with a false sense of validation, Mr Rao commented that Films that truly represent Karnataka or India rarely get awarded instead going to outlandish caricatures and misrepresentations. Mr Prasad, with his trademark humour, remarked that three main questions are posed when the cinema making process starts – What is it that we are making for, why are we making it, and who are we making it for. This sets the tone and purpose for the film. Today, Cinema seems to be less of a Madhyama, medium and more of a Udyama, means. This diminishes the importance of Bharatiyate in movies and makes it all about sensationalism. Commenting on awards, he remarked that many do not see Prashastis an honour, instead regarding them as shaasti, punishment. This is an artist and the expression of art. Let us not murk it with awards and the politics of what is superior and what is not. Bringing up the different dialects that make up a language, films predominantly use a neutral one to appeal to all. Further illustrating his point, Mr Rao remarked that the Uttara Karnataka accent is used for uneducated characters, and Dakshina Kannada dialect, for laughs. In a day where regional Cinema is increasingly coming under the focus with a large population watching it through various means, where do we see it going. Mr Iyegar, dubbing this 'Dialect Game' opined that this harkens back to the business corner that today's Cinema is backing itself into. For a long time, Kannada cinema pampered Bengaluru and Mysuru. When they realised that business there is low, we see characters from other places forcibly added to give a sense of relatability to people from different regions hoping that the films run there. By and large, this has been a shoddy gimmick to overcompensate for lousy writing in Cinema today, and one that I hope course corrects itself over time, he added. Commenting on the reinfused energy in Theatre today, Mr Iyengar called it the most democratic form of entertainment expression – of the people, by the people for the people. But the self imposed borders of what works in Cinema and what in Theatre has kept certain topics exclusive to each. A conscious effort to try and analyse why this and experiment with either medium is essential. Observing the recent trends primarily in OTT platforms, which is fast becoming a dominant alternative for Cinema and content, we see Nationalism as the hot topic with various levels of representation and, at times, misrepresentation of India. This grabs headlines and
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increases viewership, giving more people an impetus to bring out the same story's rehashes. Is this a gimmick too? Does this seem to be a golden goose for the near future, asked Mr Rao to Mr Puranik. The very folks who until ten years ago made atrociously bad Cinema suddenly came to some realisation and started churning out film after film infused with patriotism and Indic values inviting appreciation and accolades from all of us. Clamping down hard on the OTT backed content, Mr Puranik claimed that these platforms are here to destroy Bharatiya principles. The story elements in webseries in the recent past is a very skewed representation of people in India and what goes out to the World and the youth of the country. What is reassuring is today's generation is informed and fast. They call out such falsehoods and call for action against the external forces that bankroll them. This sort of ethical censorship by the consumer itself beyond mere boycott culture will lead us towards fantastic Cinema in the future, he adds. Today, nationalist content sees no takers. The retelecast of the Ramayana brought in the highest TRP during the lockdown. Why not make a webseries on the Ramayana with upgraded sets and modern technology, he asks. Why can't Rama, Krishna and Bheema be our heroes and role models? Do we always need superheroes from the west and mythologies from Egypt and Greece? Mr Prasad concluded the discussion with the observation that countries like Serbia have no Censor Board because the creators and storytellers of the land subject themselves to ethical responsibility more than any censorship and do not cross the line and harm any community as an intention beyond the disclaimer that is pasted as an antecedent to the film. This is possible only in an enlightened society where creator and consumer are aligned towards what is best for the nation, its narrative and its people as opposed to the commercial worldview of if it sells or not. Unfortunately, Cinema as a social exercise is triangular, with the prongs being talent, opportunity and luck. Very few have all three, and most of them drop off, with one of the three being lacking. This is more than exercise, he adds. It is a kainkarya, a divine mission, and till the day we realise that this will be a deficit we will continue to have. The panel arrived at the consensus that the stories, the talent and the drive to spread the messages are all in this land itself. An encouragement by means of bankrolling these projects and infusing the industry with new energy that makes Cinema translate from just being entertainment into being educative is the need of the hour.
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Session 5
Untold Sagas, Unsung Heroes – Reimagining Bharat through Itihasa and its Retelling
I
ndia is a land of Heroes. Our history books, puranas and Itihasas are littered with exploits that gave great strength to generations of the past and present in the fight against injustice and adharma. In India's celebrated History, we have lost many a story to the pages of the dusty old history books and the streets of their birth reduced to myths and old wives' tales. The lack of relatability to the right kind of heroes, leaves an entire generation hollow and disillusioned. In an attempt to bring to fore some of these untold stories and make them part of the modern narrative, from various points in time, the panel on unsung heroes brought to us the trifecta of how narratives are built, defaced and how true stories are brought out through relentless efforts.The panel, moderated by Journalist Researcher Harsha Bhat had three well-known authors and researchers into Indian Itihasas in Mr Aravindan Neelakandan, Ms Sai Swaroopa Iyer and Ms Vasundhara Desai Mahapurush. Mr Neelakandan began his submission by recalling two juxtaposed imagery from his memory. One was an infant on the beach of Kanyakumari trying to recreate the majestic Vattakota fort with the sand. The other was some college students
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Through improper and incomplete investigations by the UNESCO and later the ASI, Bishtappayya,the maverick builder, whose signature wasn't set in textbut as many symbolic and sculptural signatures, remained only in the oral traditions of tour guides and was left out of any written documentation entirely.
in Mahabalipuram acting out in the most outlandish manner in front of a sculpture of Krishna holding up the Govardhana Giri. He regretted the unfortunate situation we are in where our youngsters do not know to appreciate the beauty of our architecture, instead resorting to mindless defacing, hooting and photographing themselves when around great artefacts of the past, while the same youngster untouched by the education and experiences of the world is pure and filled with awe and appreciation. Today's retellings are one of the two, he says. One may be an honest attempt at recreating the magnificence but incomparable to the original in the ocean of time. The other is a more informed but juvenile attempt at defacing and distorting the original. Creating something timeless needs an effort and sadhana akin to penance so much that one dissolves oneself in the magnificence of Indian culture. Only then will the product be faithful in spirit. Ms Bhat probed, further veering the discussion towards the tales that are being told and the dichotomy between the right kind of tales and the ones that we have around us. As a literary instrument, the novel is a product of the west. Indian stories have always been told across the land as Mahakavyas with stringent rules of grammar and syllables. For the sake of simplicity, when the Mahakavyas are retold as novels, you are forced to dumb it down. One that stands out in the sea of simplistic retellings is Savitri by Shri Aurobindo, which has followed the novel's framework but is unparalleled by any other Indian or Western author in terms of literary prowess. There is a tradition of a decentralised history telling exemplified by the Periyapuranam in Tamil Nadu and Mahabhaktavijayam. Once, everyone knew about these stories because everyone related to it. Unlike in the west, where the stories were always about great dynasties and kings and rarely about the ordinary citizen until the renaissance, our culture has always been one that celebrated smaller stories. It is time we realise and embrace that part of us. Ms Bhat added that stories written in paper turn into dust over time, but the Veeragallu etched in stone stand the test of time, many a time bringing to fore stories of local heroes. Those etchings were made to keep the stories alive for multiple generations, but is there any effort to keep them alive now
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that we have paper. Mr Neelakadtan added that while retelling these stories is the need of the hour, there needs to be utmost care taken to avoid perversion of the stories. Inversing the roles of the protagonist and antagonist and creating a different narrative altogether breeds ignorance. Sai Swaroopa Iyer, in her latest compilation from the Indic Academy, curates untold stories from the Mahabharata, all from the original BORI Critical Edition in this generation where fictionalised retellings are flooding the market. Ms Iyer opined that these corrupted retellings make Indian Heroes victims of Marxist thought and degrading what is otherwise empowered, complex, and layered characters. She narrates a parable of Yudhamanyu, a foot-soldier who protected the wheels of Arjuna's chariot along with Uttamaujas, being confronted by Duryodhana and scoring an upset victory over him.Ten such untold stories appear in the book, all written by first-time authors who are trained and coached by the Indic Academy. Retellings where the protagonist and antagonist have their roles reversed need to take care that they do not stray from the path of Dharma and over glorify any qualities that don't deserve to be, she adds. Mrs Desai Mahapurush, the author of many papers and comprehensive work on Guru Bishtapayya, a great builder of the Vijayanagara empire whose work has been besmirched and credited to others subject to the ravages of time, spoke at length about the History of the empire, its decline since the battle of Talikota and what remains of Hampi today. The magnificent Gopura of the Virupaksha Temple, and the tradition of a lady, in the local lore thought to be the builder's wife is worshipped as Gopuradamma even to this day. Other temples built by the Guru have the same symbols of the peacock's feather, a sign of Lord Subramanya, the family's household deity appear. The evidence is there as clear as the midday sun for those who want to see it, she adds. Through improper and incomplete investigations by the UNESCO and later the ASI, Bishtappayya,the maverick builder, whose signature wasn't set in textbut as many symbolic and sculptural signatures, remained only in the oral traditions of tour guides and was left out of any written documentation entirely. Mrs Desai an 11thgeneration descendent of the great builder, has spent the last 15 years working to bring back the truth that was hidden for 50 years before then going unquestioned by all. Going against all oral traditions and local beliefs, a narrative was set discrediting Bishtappayya and to prove the false narrative as such; I have had
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to go through such a tribulation, laments Mrs Desai. Distortions for the sake of Rasa is going to create huge gaps in the Indian narrative, and we feed into the hands of the Britishers of yore who went by the assumption that Indians are liars and everything they said was false. It took many years of consistent effort and research in a manner acceptable to the western school of thought to prove Buddha and Mahavira were different, a fact that was common knowledge to all Indians, added Mr Neelakandan. If that were never done, we probably would have been reading in our textbooks today that Brahminical Divide has created this false narrative. Similarly, Krishna's stories were thought to be corrupted retellings of Jesus' miracles, a theory that was proven wrong post the discovery of evidence of Krishna worship predating Christianity. The sources are available, adds Mr Neelakandan. It is a very wrong notion that given the day and age we live in, we do not have access to the original texts. Any household in India, in the vicinity of 5 kilometres, you will find the Ramayana in its original forms, should you need it. In the name of democratization of ancient knowledge, there has been an effort to lock them in the ivory towers of academic institutions. Deinstitutionalizing this during the peak of cultural illiteracy in India, was done by a single person in the form of Amar Chitra Katha. The need of the hour is to tell stories and tell the right stories so that heroes come out from libraries and museums and into our everyday lives as they did for many years before.
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C£ÀįÉèÃTvÀ CzsÁåAiÀÄUÀ¼ÀÄ - ¨sÁgÀwÃAiÀÄ EwºÁ¸ÀzÀ ªÀÄgÀÄ ¤gÀÆ¥ÀuÉ LzÀ£Éà UÉÆö×AiÀÄ°è Untold Sagas, Unsung Heroes: Reimagining Bharath through Ithihas and JA§ «µÀAiÀÄzÀ §UÉÎ «ZÁgÀ ªÀÄAqÀ£É £ÀqɬÄvÀÄ. ¸ÀªÀÄ£ÀéAiÀÄPÁgÀgÁV ¥ÀvÀæPÀvÉð ºÀµÀð ¨sÀmï ¤ªÀð»¹zÀgÀÄ. its Retelling
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Session 6
Vishamateya Mathanadalli Moodida Sahitya: Kannadadakke Mudina Haadi (The Genre of Literature rising out of Struggle: The Way forward for Kannada) e are at an inflexion point in History on the heels of the Covid-19 Pandemic, remarked Mr Rohith Chakrathirtha, Mathematician, Writer and Member of the Kannada Abhivruddhi Pradhikara, and the Moderator of the session. Great struggles, be it through diseases, wars or economic upheavals in the world order, have always inspired new literature that represented the time periods to all future generations. Closer to home, if we look at the annals of our itihasas, Sage Valmiki composed the Ramayana when the death of a bird while he was courting his mate and the subsequent cries of agony that his mate let out, was the inspiration that led to the composition of the Ramayana. How can we see literature's role play out today.
W
Dr B V Vasanth Kumar, Chairperson, Karnataka Sahitya Academy remarked that great upheavals in history, live on in the literature of those times. While we do not see the effects of the Plague today, its impact on language, habits and literature are lasting. At the same time, it is essential that the literature gives a wholesome picture without misleading future generations. Compositions influenced by Marxist thought fail to portray this with the necessary subtlety. In October of last year, Dr Kumar notes,the Sudha Magazine published a story titled – Covida Vedanta. In this story, a couple that hasn't spoken to each other for over 35 years while living in the same house, realise the ephemeral nature of life and make
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Consumption and Economics also play into this argument, adds Mr Kajagadde. Without patrons to read works and watch plays, less is made and more fall into the tried and tested formula of rehashing what works well. Experimentation and growth is lesser in this case, and we try and look for the easy way out.
amends with a promise to live the rest of it with understanding and care. Such stories beautifully illustrate the resilience of the human spirit and how there is a beauty that can be expressed in stories set amid struggle. Mr Chakratirtha comments on the two kinds of struggle – one perpetual, such as poverty, jealousy, dissatisfaction, anger, depression, among others. And others, more sudden and unexpected, such as Covid, a declaration of war, or any natural disaster. What is the difference in the standard of literature they give rise to. Dr Kumar opines that literature and, by extension, life is a product of some amount of difficulty and pain. Be it the birth of a child, the germination of a plant or the victory of Independence. While there seems to be a glaring misconception that comfort and happiness are the only goals in life, we seem to talk philosophy by never following through with them. Impediments are obstacles are what give rise to literature, and that is how the churning, both physical and intellectual, happens. Dr Girish Bhat Ajakkala, Chairperson of Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati, commenting on the effective articulation of society and its struggle, cited the works of Dr S L Bhyrappa, who has written about such matters at length. Many writers might feel that mundane,everyday societal problems may seem as unexciting. A film may show this and do a better job owing to the visual medium but the literary prowess needed to make this the centre of focus seem not to be as strong. Another point of note is, what seems to some as a Vishamta, difficulty, may not seem the same for all. For example, the exodus of the Kashmiri Pundits while regarded by some as an important event in history was disregarded by many as nothing more than a simple mass migration. Similarly, it is not always true that struggles beget literature. It is something that should germinate in the Writer's mind.India's more mundane problems have a higher sales value for foreign writers compared to our own.Some love to exaggerate the stereotypes of caste and poverty and rake in awards and that has become a beast of its own. Dr Kumar invoked the life of Basavanna, a person born in a Brahmin household who wrote fervently against caste hierarchy founding a new order in Indian Philosophy. Extremes are unwise. To say the caste system does not exist and denying all of our social evils is foolhardy. Still, the other
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extreme of saying the caste system is root of all of society's inequality is equally untrue. One should be able to pragmatically maintain the middle ground and weigh everything properly, he adds. Mr Lakshmi Narayana Kajagadde, President of the Arebhashe Academy,observed a unique impediment that the Kannada Literature faces. Many a story remain just that. A story. They do not look at becoming a novel or an epic. Writers choose to spend fleeting moments on a single story before jumping onto the next one cancelling any and all opportunities to compose a grand narrative. RashtrakaviKuvempu always maintained that a good writer needs to be stingy. The story needs to unravel itself little by little, keeping the reader hooked and stimulating an independent thought. The impatience of modern contemporary literature in Kannada has the entire story revealed in a single sitting. This, he theorizes, could be a side-effect of the fleeting nature of Social Media where one is encouraged to quickly share an opinion on whatever they see or think without any actual research or thought. A lack of concentration, effort and patience leads to such immature literature today, and that is something we can use this struggle to overcome, he concluded. Consumption and Economics also play into this argument, adds Mr Kajagadde. Without patrons to read works and watch plays, less is made and more fall into the tried and tested formula of rehashing what works well. Experimentation and growth is lesser in this case, and we try and look for the easy way out.
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Team Mangaluru LitFest-2021
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