The three-day 2nd SOA Literary Festival, organised by the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University here, got off to an exhilarating start on Friday with eminent Odia writer Dr. Pratibha Ray underscoring the need to strive for an inclusive society where every citizen can contribute and flourish.

“The quest for economic progress and individual success should not come at the cost of social cohesion and we must address the disparities that persist while striving for an inclusive society,” Dr. Ray said in her inaugural address.

The Lit-Fest, which has drawn around 250 eminent writers, poets, historians, critics and artistes from across the country, has been organised by the SOA Centre for Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN), SOA’s arm for conservation.

PPRACHIN’s Head and eminent writer Dr. Gayatribala Panda announced during the inaugural ceremony that the university would be launching the ‘SOA Sahitya Samman’ at the national level from next year which will be presented to an eminent litterateur of the country. A national jury will choose the recipient of the award which will carry a purse of Rs. seven lakh.

The inaugural session was also addressed by Prof. Ashis Nandy, eminent social theorist and critic, Mr. Madhav Kaushik, eminent author and President of Sahitya Akademi, Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, eminent writer and Secretary of Sahitya Akademi and Divya Dutta, eminent actor and author. Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, presided while Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, SOA’s Dean (Students’ Welfare) proposed the vote of thanks.

The theme of the festival this time is ‘Indian Culture, Society and Literature: Prospects and Challenges.’ The 1st SOA Literature Festival was held on February 1 and 2, 2020.

Dr. Ray, who is a Jnanpith Award winning novelist, said the Indian culture had been a source of pride and inspiration for the world with its inclusivity, tolerance and spirituality. “However, the contemporary landscape poses challenges that demand our thoughtful consideration,” she said adding the rapid pace of globalization, technological advancements and the confluence of diverse influences had the potential to reshape the contours of our cultural identity.

“As we navigate this complex terrain, the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage become paramount. It is imperative that we strike a delicate balance between embracing the opportunities presented by globalization and safeguarding the essence of our identity,” she said.

Dr. Ray praised SOA for organizing a literary conference of such scale providing a boost to literature.

Prof. Nandy focused on the creativity of literary persons saying on many occasions litterateurs didn’t realize what they have created.

Citing the example of eminent Indian mathematician Srinivasan Ramanujan, Prof. Nandy said he had made mathematical discoveries without having any formal training in the subject or access to library. His findings, after being rejected at the global level, were scrutinized by another mathematician G.H.Hardy of Trinity College, London.

Hardy realised that Ramanujan’s findings were rediscoveries and thought that ‘the man must either be a genius or a brilliant scamster’. Ramanujan’s humble background instilled in him the insecurity for which he could not even own what he had achieved, he said.

Mr. Kaushik described writers as the spokespersons of the common man. “It is the writer who feels the pain and agony of the people around him and writes about it,” he said.

Four Odia books of Dr. Gayatribala Panda, translated into different Indian languages, were released during the inaugural ceremony. While her award winning book ‘Dayanadi’ has been published by Kendra Sahitya Akademi in Punjabi and Sanskrit, other books released included ‘Bagha Upakhyan’ in Hindi, selected poems titled ‘Asaan Nahin Itihas Likhna’ in Hindi and selected short stories translated into English titled ‘My Truth, My Story’.

Besides, another book titled ‘Sarola Das Mahabharatha Sampadana Prastab—Bhabishyat, Atita O Bartaman’ published by PPRACHIN was also released.