Civilised dialogue seems to have been affected seriously in the past few decades, said contemporary artist Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh.
Speaking at the inaugural function of Lit for Life 2017 here on Saturday, Prof. Sheikh said he was deeply impressed by the “dialogue that took place in civilised manner” at the event.
Pointing to a “shrinking of knowledge” Prof. Sheikh said, “I am happy that despite the kind of depletion of knowledge there are new venues opening.”
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“There is a place for the words spoken, words written and words printed. There is a need to reclaim that word again,” he added.
The Hindu Lit for Life Director Nirmala Lakshman said:
“Now more than ever before, with the continuing assault on freedom of expression, the mushrooming of fundamentalist far right politics across the globe reflected in the rhetoric of fear politics, social divisions and attack on the “other” in many societies, liberal platforms like these and independent voices need to be strengthened and heard.”
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“Lit for Life engages with these ideas head on and I am sure the discussions over the next few days will prove to be stimulating,” said Dr.Lakshman.
“A festival that comes from The Hindu reflects the same values as the newspaper, and so in our programming we have attempted to be wide ranging, inclusive, creative, bringing an arc of ideas and topics for for the enjoyment of those who attend the festival, “ said Dr.Lakshman.
Looking back on the country’s record in varied areas, Dr.Lakshman said “since its inception in 1878, The Hindu has consistently promoted the arts, literature and culture. All great newspapers thrive because of their constant engagement with the great questions of the day, whatever they may, and The Hindu has reflected this not just through the authenticity and credibility of the news and perspectives it produces every day in its columns and pages but also because of the space it allots to books, writing and literature, especially trough its supplements.”
“For the first time we are introducing a children’s festival because we believe that it is important to stimulate creativity and broaden the horizons of knowledge for the young. At the heart of the festival is The Hindu prize given each year for best fiction which will be awarded tomorrow evening,” said Dr.Lakshman.
The Hindu Group MD and CEO Rajiv C. Lochan said the media business and the newspaper world seems to be plunging towards the business of advertising. “We want to be in the profession of journalism and that starts and ends with the reader,” said Mr.Lochan.
The Hindu Editor Mukund Padmanabhan urged readers to “take the festival back home.”