The 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) was inaugurated in a grand manner at the KIIT campus here on Wednesday. The WCP, which is being attended by a thousand of poets from different parts of the world, will continue till October 6.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, inaugurating the programme, said poetry has been the expression of humanity since time immemorial. “Poets across the globe, irrespective of their boundaries, have kept alive human values all around us. In India, from ancient times, our poets have vividly depicted our social systems, values and have played a very significant role in the sociopolitical transformation of our country,” opined Patnaik.
Terming Odisha as a land of cultural pluralism, Patnaik said the State has a rich and enviable tradition of poetry. Our great poets have immensely contributed to enrich Odia literature, challenging social prejudices, advocating empowerment and promoting human virtues.
The worldview in the immortal lines of our 19 th Century poet Bhima Bhoi, “Mo jeeban pachhe narke padithau, Jagat uddhar heu”, which means, ‘Let my soul be subjected to sufferings in the hell, but the world be resurrected’, is now illuminating and igniting million minds in the UNO headquarters.
Today, our innumerable poets are illuminating our ways to empowerment, he said.
“In the 150th year of the Mahatma, we are celebrating the quintessence of basic human values, peace and nonviolence. In our attempts at a global society free from prejudice and a new social order in the path of peace and nonviolence, our poets can alone create the kind of empathy that it needs. I would, therefore, urge all here to give it a thought. 1 very strongly believe that poetry has the power to change, to transform and bring in a better social order.
Earlier, WPC president and KIIT and KIIS founder Prof Achyuta Samanta welcomed the guests and delegates.
Prof Acharya Bhabananda was presented Gandhi Prize for Literature. Padma Bhushan Ruskin Bond and Ganesh Haloi were presented Honorary D Litt degrees. Honorary Diploma was presented to noted Gandhian Padma Shri Bhabani Charan Pattnaik. The awards were conferred by the World Congress of Poets and World Academy of Arts and Culture (WAAC), USA.