All roads in Karnataka will lead to Mangaluru on the November 3 and 4 . The highly anticipated and much debated literary festival will kick-off tomorrow in the coastal town. An august assembly of litterateurs, national and international speakers and subject experts will discuss and deliberate on various topics under the ‘Idea of Bharat’ theme. The lit fest has generated a lot of curiosity in regional and national media given the unique theme of the fest and the speakers at the 2-day event.
The doyen of Kannada Literature Dr SL Bhayarappa and recipient of Saraswati Samman will be felicitated for his lifetime achievements in the literary field for the promotion of ‘The Idea of Bharat’. The event to be kicked off on 3rd November will have keynote addresses by Dr N Vinaya Hegde of Nitte Education Trust, Prof Prafulla Ketkar, Editor of Organiser and Smt Sandhya Pai, Managing Editor of Tushara, Taranga Kannada magazines, during the inaugural event.
The 2-day fest organised by the Mangaluru Literary Foundation will witness 50+ Speakers deliver talk on versatile topics on the Central Theme of “The Idea of Bharat”. The organisers inform that the fest is “An autonomous community sponsored literary conclave and an attempt to showcase ancient Indian wisdom of Peace, Brotherhood & Universal Well Being, as envisioned in ‘Udara Charitanam Tu Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. We aim to achieve this through intellectual discourse by the finest literary minds from across the globe”, say the Organisers.
‘Manthan’ and ‘Two Sides’.
Shri J Nandakumar, National Convenor of Prajna Pravaha, Shri Gopal Mugeraya and Smt Sandhya Pai will deliberate on the central theme under ‘Synthesis’ on Day 1. The debates and deliberations have been broadly classified under ‘Manthan’ and ‘Two Sides’. While the speakers at ‘Manthan’ will deliberate on topics ranging from Modinomics, Aurobindo’s idea of Spiritual Nationalism to women & religion, those at ‘Two Sides’ will debate on topics that usually generate contrasting views in the country.
Some of the speakers at ‘Manthan’ are MR Venkatesh, Vivek Mallya, Gautham Chikermane, Dr BM Hegde, Abhinav Prakash, Yogini Shambavi Chopra, Chaitra Matighatta, Sandeep Shastri, Rohit Chakrateertha among many others.
Speakers at ‘Two Sides’ include Dr David Frawley, Dr Anirban Ganguly, Anand Ranganathan, Madhu Kishwar, Prakash Belawadi, Vivek Agnihotri, R Jagannathan, Ratan Sharda, Maj Gaurav Arya, Nandakumar, Sandeep Balakrishna and others. Noted orator and writer Chakravarti Sulibele will speak at the Lifetime achievement award felicitation event.
Several debates will also be conducted in Kannada. Yoga Demonstration, Dance Drama, ‘Kavi Goshti’(poets corner), photography workshop, and book releases will be part of the 2-day mega event.
People’s Lit Fest
In the run-up to the lit fest, the organisers ran a social media and on-ground campaign to collect the views of the common people on various issues to be debated at the lit fest. Lit fests usually seen as an elite ensemble away from ‘aam aadmi’s concerns, the Mangaluru Lit Fest has attempted to break away from this image by taken the views of the youth and common man prior to the fest. Some of these views have made it to the list of topics to be deliberated at the fest. A video and digital fliers showcasing the views of the public was released by the team on social media.
Several events and cultural extravaganza organised at the venue have local flavour and represent the traditions of the coastal town. Local languages Tulu and Kannada are integral parts of the two-day lit fest thereby being closer to the ethos and expectations of the residents.
The 2-day event is open to all without restrictions and given the wide range of topics, speakers and multiple languages, the lit fest is sure to draw huge crowds from other coastal towns and cities across Karnataka and other southern states.
Mangaluru Ideal for Lit Fest
Mangaluru is a port city along the Indian West Coast at the foothills of the Western Ghats, known for its ethereal beauty, with its Rolling Hills, Fresh Water Streams, Pristine Greenery, Divine Shrines and Beautiful Beaches. Mangaluru has a vibrant multi-cultural ethos with very colourful annual festivities including Kambala, Kola, Yakshagana and Jatra Mahotsavas round the year. Mangaluru, with many Medical, Dental, Engineering, Management, Pharmacy and other professional educational institutions imparting quality education, is aptly known as the knowledge hub. Mangaluru Lit Fest intends to highlight this literary & cultural diversity, creating a conducive platform for thought-provoking & captivating intellectual deliberations.
Mangaluru Lit Fest is being held on 3 & 4 Nov 2018 at Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre, Mangaluru.
Topics for ‘Manthan’
– ‘Modinomics’: Reactionary or Revolutionary
– Sri Aurobindo’s Idea of Spiritual Nationalism
– Indian Academia and India in Academia
– Hindu Civilization: Under Siege or On Upsurge
– Overreaching Regulations & Relentless Faith
– Women & Religion: From Triple Talaq to Sabarimala
Topics for ‘Two Sides’
– Reclaiming the True Hindu Narrative
– Selective Outrage: Good Dissent, Bad Dissent or Dissent of Convenience
– Urban Naxals
– RSS 360 – Facts Vs Fiction
– Engineered Violence in Kerala & Kashmir
– Regional Art Culture and Literature
Book Releases at Mangaluru Lit Fest
– Your Prime Minister is Dead by Anuj Dhar
– Job Crisis in India by R Jagannathan
– What is Hinduism by Dr David Frawley
– Kasheera by Sahana Vijay Kumar
Book Release will be followed by discussions with the authors
