Guwahati– The three-day Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2024, held at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra campus, drew hundreds of literature and culture enthusiasts to engage in insightful discussions on India’s heritage and its evolving societal narratives.
The festival, which ran from December 13-16, featured a dynamic mix of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops under the theme “In Search of Roots.”
The inaugural ceremony was graced by Dr. Malini Goswami, former Vice-Chancellor of Assam Women’s University, as the chief guest. Swaminathan Gurumurthy, a distinguished columnist and economist, delivered the keynote address, “Development Through Culture,” where he critiqued the dominance of Western analytical frameworks in understanding India and emphasized the need for independent thinking.
Lt. General (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, president of the organizing body Sankaradeva Education and Research Foundation, highlighted the military and strategic brilliance of Mahabir Lachit, underscoring the importance of sharing such narratives with younger generations.
Prominent sessions included Arunachal Pradesh’s Er. Debaang Tayeng’s compelling contribution during the discussion “Beyond Entertainment: Role of Cinema in Society.” Tayeng, an engineer and cultural advocate, spoke on cinema’s potential to introduce fresh ideologies and drive societal progress, particularly in culturally diverse regions. The session, moderated by poet and film critic Aparajita Pujari, also featured senior filmmaker Atul Gangwar and actor Kapil Bora, who emphasized meaningful storytelling and cinema’s role as a catalyst for social change.
Dr. Malini Goswami traced the evolution of Assamese literature, celebrating its deep connection with India’s literary traditions, while legal expert J Sai Deepak, Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Anand Ranganathan, and historian-economist Sanjeev Sanyal contributed powerful lectures. Their topics ranged from constitutional perspectives to visions of India in 2047 and the need for historical reassessment.
Attendees included notable figures such as writer Tarun Boro, Pragjyotishpur University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Smriti Kumar Sinha, and lawyer-author J Sai Deepak. The festival also honored local traditions with a Borgeet performance by Vidyasagar during the opening ceremony.
The festival’s final day features discussions on cultural identity, technology’s role in preserving heritage, the Brahmaputra River’s societal impact, and journalism’s evolving credibility. With its blend of historical exploration and contemporary dialogue, the event reaffirmed its position as a premier platform for intellectual and cultural exchange in the region.
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