JAMMU, Feb 20: The annual literature festival of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Lit Life’17 which is organized by the Department of Languages and literature every year,was held with enthusiasm and fanfare in the Matrika Auditorium of University campus on 19th -20th February 2017.Lit Life with a catch line literature in life, literature for life has been an initiative of the Department of languages and literature which began in the year 2013 and the festival has been growing every year since them.
The festival was inaugurated by Dr. Aziz Hajini, Secretary, JK Academy of Art, Culture and Languages and SahityaAkademi awardee Kashmiri writer and translator. In the inaugural address, Dr. Hajini appreciated the effort of SMVDU to organise an annual Literature fest and said that Literature being a fine art is a rare faculty and blessed are the ones who possess it. Further highlighting the nuances of creativity as a writer, he shared various experiences of his life with the participants. Further, he highlighted how regional literature is threatened by current consumerist approach of both reader and writer. Speaking about Lit Life’17, Dr. Vandana Sharma, Dean, Head of the department said that the theme of Lit life 2017 is ‘Literature in the 21st century which has brought together creative minds from diverse fields of the country. Moreover, the fest aims to inculcate literary sensibilities among the students of schools, colleges and Universities. Interdisciplinary in orientation, Lit Life’17 had been planned to have stimulating sessions on Writing our Times, Womens Writing, KavyaGosthi, Writing and Journalism, and on Blogging.
Prominent speakers in the fest were Sayeed Naqvi, prominent Journalist and commentator who in the session, Writing and Journalism spoke about his career in writing and journalism and also about his recent popular book, Being the Other, Muslim in India. Speaking on the occasion , Mr Saeed said that his book is a captivating glimpse of his life to unravel some hidden political truths about disharmony between Hindus and Muslims, which was fuelled during colonial era and in this book he has documented some interesting anecdotes like howhow Muslims have been writing profusely about Krishna Leela and originally there existed no disharmony between Hindus and Muslims and his books aims at dispelling the Otherness, which muslims are subjected to in the continent
Another notable session in the fest was “Writing our Times” where Danesh Rana, IGP, Jammu spoke about his novel Red Maize. In the session, Mr. Rana saidthat his creative impulses and professional exigencies move parallel. Speaking about the book, he said that he has always been inspired by the narrative style ofwriters like Salman Rushdie and Gabriel Marquez and how he preserved with the initial drafts of Red Maize in an attempt to make it emerge as a masterpiece. Further, he said that in Red Maize, he has portrayed the magnitude of suffering, which people are subjected to in any kind of conflictand being a cop he has projected an unbiased facet of militancy in J&K. Continuing his literary exploits, he is soon going to come up with a new book, which is also his expression and reflections on current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Jammu as his Dogra identity is dear to him and he feels it to be his responsibility to uphold that.
Have Bloggers carved out a space in the digital world was another popular session, where Mr. Arvind passey, senior Journalist and blogger said that how blogging helps to writing instincts to evolve with digital age acting as a catalyst.
Prominent poets and scholars who spoke in the Fest were Shiv Nirmohi, noted writer and scholar, Prakash Premi,Sh O P Vidarthi IFS, SahityaAkademi awardee, Dr.VeenaPandita, Surjit Hosh, Sunita Singh, ShivaniAnand, Bhagwati, FauziaMugal, JagdeepDubely, Namrata. Yogita Yadav, Gyanpeeth awardee and Aarushi Thakur, Young woman Director of Natrang were speakers in the session Women Writing and the Modern Lingo.
The Jammu Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages sponsored the Folk performances of Jammu and Kashmir as the festival aimed at celebrating creativity at its manifestation.Various schools, colleges and University of Jammu participated in the fest enthusiastically. Significant event in the fest included Dramatic Performance, Literary quiz and alsoStory-telling and Students’ Creativity, which provided a platform to youngsters to showcase their literary creativity. The first prized in the Play was bagged by MIER College, Jammu; and SMVD University and GDC Udhampur were felicitated with the second and third prize. In quiz competition, GMC Jammu got the first prize; GDC Udhampur and SMVD University got the second prize, whereas the University of Jammu was felicitated with the third prize. In Story telling competition, Matngi Sharma of Jodhamal Public School bagged the first prize; Suhani Sharma, Jodhamal Public School and Parul Sharma, DPS Katra got the second and third prize. In Students’ Creativity session, Arjun Hans, University of Jammu bagged the first prize whereas Emu Sharma, MIER College and Chirdeep Malhotra, GMC Jammu were felicitated with the Second and the third prize.
The event was partially sponsored by Hotel Galaxy; Hotel Kerni Palace, Katra; Ganga Ram Dry Fruits Merchants, Katra and Wagon, Bahu Plaza, Jammu.
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