leading scholars, litterateurs, journalists, film artists and critics assembled at the second edition of the Kalinga literary Festival (KlF) held here on Sunday. They discussed threadbare on how literature represents and reflects the myriad colours and emotions of social life while speaking on the theme ‘literature as Reflection’.
Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, eminent journalist Mark Tully, noted novelist Dr Pratibha Ray and KlF director Rashmi Ranjan Parida inaugurated the festival being organised by the Roots of Odisha Foundation (ROOF).
While KlF co-convenor Sitansu Mahapatra presented an introductory note on the KlF, ROOF founder-trustee Sudhir Kumar Dash said about the steps being taken by his organisation to connect global Odias with their roots.
The occasion marked release of books and CDs like Anil Dhir’s ‘Confluence’, Adyasha Das’s ‘Brass Flower’, Ramakanta Das’s ‘In Retrospect’, Elora Rath’s ‘I Never Expected life Would Change So Much’, Itishri Sarangi’s ‘Plays and life of Arthur Miller’ and Mrinal Chaterjee’s ‘Jagate Thiba Jete Dina’ (CD).
Panelists like Ashok Chakradhar, Gourahari Das, Debi Prasanna Pattanayak, Pranesh Prasad and moderator Deba Prasad Dash discussed how English emerged as a connecting language and what danger it poses when it becomes the lingua franca of the elite and the policy makers who reject the non-English speaking population as unaware and uneducated.
While the session on feminism was attended by Dr Ranjana Kumar, P lalitha Kumari, Sushma Seth, the session on Cinema was spoken by Suhsma Seth, Roopa Ganguly, Sabyasachi Mahapatra, Anu Chaudhury, Sharat Katariya, Santanu Ganguly and was moderated by Anna Vetticad.
Similarly, Mark Tully, Prabhu Chawla, Urmilesh, Sanatnu Guha Roy, Satya Narayan Sahu and Sanjay Ahirwal discussed the role of media in the media session. This session was moderated by Mrinal Chatterjee. The last session discussed social exclusion and Tribal in mainstream literature. Prof Kancha Illiah, Barendra Kumar and Sabyasachi Mahapatra attended as panelists while Kamala Kanta Dash moderated the session.