Unique literary confluence of author-translators, art-connoisseurs, critics, budding writers, commentators

By Nava Thakuria* 

Curtain came down for the second Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2024 on Sunday evening at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra premises of  Guwahati in northeast India. The closing ceremony also witnessed the presentation of Pragjyotishpur LitFest literature awards to veteran Nepali writer Bidyapati Dahal and Suprakash Bhuyan (promising writer’s category) in gracious presence of  learned academician Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury with many others. Dahal, a Sanskrit scholar who has immensely contributed to Nepali and Hindi literature, expressed his gratitude to the organizing committee for the honour and commented that it has given him the motivation to create more literary works in the coming days.

On the other hand, Bhuyan who is a thought-provoking story writer regularly contributing for prominent Assamese literary magazines like  Prakash, Gariyoshi, Prantik, Satsori, etc stated that the award has made him more responsible to his literary activities. Dr Choudhury observed that the litfest, organized in the quest for roots, would open doors to new ideas, which became necessary for the younger generation. He mentioned that Bharat Ratna  Dr Bhupen Hazarika always maintained a sense of national responsibility, harmony, and universal philosophy in his creations. Himself an actor and writer, Dr Choudhury lauded the initiative to organize a series of discussions on heritage, tradition, self-awareness & pride during the event.

The festival (13, 14 and 15 December 2024), organised for the second  time by Sankardev  Education and Research Foundation (SERF) with the theme ‘In Search of Roots’, witnessed several distinguished personalities like Dr Smriti Kumar Sinha, vice-chancellor of Pragjyotishpur University, award-winning Assamese author Anuradha Sharma Pujari, Soumyadeep Dutta, executive president of Pragjyotishpur LitFest, eminent social worker Basistha Bujarbaruah, writer Nayan J Bhattacharya, organising committee secretary Bikram Kalita, etc on the closing function. It began with a Borgeet recital by vocalist Sarat Raag, was anchored by Dr Hirakjyoti Sharma, where the vote of thanks was offered by Pragjyotishpur University  registrar Dr Yogesh Kakoti.

The last day also witnessed five intriguing sessions where Prof Gajendra Adhikari (centre-head at North Eastern Studies of Mohapurush Srimanta Sankardev University), Dr Prashanta Chakrabarty from Cotton University and Dr Jogendra Nath Sharma (retired Dibrugarh University professor) on ‘Swabodh & Swabhimaan: From the time of Pragjyotishpur to present-day Assam’. Four young cultural researchers from Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh graced another session titled ‘Exploring Regional Literature & Culture: The Voice of North-East India’. Moderated by Dr Pari Hiloidari from Handique Girls' College, the session was enlightened by Dr Bompy Riba (Rajiv Gandhi Regional University), Gankhu Sumnayan (Wangsa Government College), Dilip Mayengbam and Ashok Dev with their provocative views. Kavya Kaveri (multilingual poetry session) was enriched by moderator Ratneshwar Basumatary (Bodo poet), Dr Deven Chapkata (Nepali), Ravi Shankar Ravi (Hindi), Welsing Hanse (Karbi), Mridul Halai and Abhijit Gogoi (Assamese). Two parallel workshops  attracted a good number of young participants where writer Atanu Bhattacharya conducted the session ‘Creative Writing: The Art of Storytelling’ and environmentalist author Soumyadeep Dutta conducted the session on ‘Preserving Assam's Natural Heritage’.

On the other hand, the second day unfolded four interesting panel discussions exploring socio-cultural and political developments of the far eastern part of Bharat. The discussions witnessed vibrant intellectual exchanges delving into heritage, culture, cinema and journalism in the region. Experts from various fields shared their perspectives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the local culture and society. The first session tiled ‘Heritage and Cultural Identity: The Role of Technology’, explored the possibilities of preservation for the cultural heritage through technological advancements.

Moderated by Dr Rakhee Kalita Maral from Cotton University, the session was addressed by Dr Dhruvajyoti Bora, vice-chancellor of Srimanta Sankaradeva Health Science University, where he highlighted the importance of regional languages in maintaining cultural authenticity. Dr Bhaskarjyoti Sharma from Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art & Culture, discussed how traditions shape identity and stressed the role of technology in conserving these legacies. Similarly, Dr Arup Nath from Tezpur Central University stated that some traditions are tangible and visible to us. These are markers of history, but there are also intangible traditions that we can only feel, for instance the melodies of Bhupen-da's songs, he added.

Participating in the discussion titled ‘Role of Brahmaputra in Assam’s Diverse Society’ Er Pradeep Bhuyan cautioned about ecological and cultural threats posed by a number of hydroelectric dams on Brahmaputra in the upper riparian places. Prashanta Boro from  Bodo Sahitya Sabha spoke about the mighty river’s historical significance from ancient Pragjyotishpur to modern era Assam, where the session was moderated by Padma Shri awardee author Arup Kumar Dutta. On the ‘Changing Media Landscape : Credibility and Reliability', which was moderated by Prasanta Jyoti Baruah of The Assam Tribune, focused on the evolving characteristics of journalism in the region.  Senior journalist Rupam Barua discussed the challenges ahead of mainstream media persons while maintaining factual accuracy amidst the aggression of social media. Participating as a panelist, I emphasized on truth-driven reporting while highlighting the adverse impacts of unchecked misinformation speared by many media outlets.

The last panel on ‘Beyond Entertainment: The Role of Cinema in Shaping Societal Narratives’,  which was moderated by film critic Aparajita Pujari, examined cinema’s transformative potential in shaping societal norms and perceptions. Atul Gangwar, a veteran  filmmaker, spoke about cinema’s power to address misconceptions and foster positive social changes. Popular Assamese actor Kapil Bora highlighted the importance of conveying meaningful messages through film-works. Accomplished speaker Dabang Tayeng and academic Samrat Bora highlighted how the cinema can introduce new ideas to influence social progress.

The unique  literary confluence of author-translators, art-connoisseurs, critics, budding writers, commentators on economics & history and young people was inaugurated by Dr Malini Goswami, former vice-chancellor of Assam Women's University, in the gracious presence of renowned economist & Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Supreme Court advocate & prominent author- columnist J Sai Deepak, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor & author Anand Ranganathan, SERF chairman Lieutenant General (retired) Rana Pratap Kalita,  festival organising committee chief Taren Boro with many others. The function began with a Borgeet performed y classical musician Vidyasagar and wrapped up by cultural programs including modern song performed by Ananya Goswami, a mime act presented by young artistes  under the direction of Dr Kuldeep Patgiri and a folk song played by Hirakjyoti Sarma.

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*Senior journalist based in Guwahati