Bhubaneswar: The three-day 2nd SOA Literary Festival concluded on Sunday with eminent Punjabi litterateur Dr Surjit Patar describing literature as a bridge that keeps the society together.
“Concrete bridges only span the river, but the bridge of words keeps the society united and together,” Patar said while addressing the valedictory session of the fest, which was attended by around 250 writers, poets, critics, thinkers and artistes from across the country.
Pointing out that poetry leads to self-introspection, he said grief and poetry had a strange connection. “The poorest countries of the world have the richest poetry,” he said.
India is one of the countries with the largest number of scripts, he said, adding the absence of words leads to darkness.
Patar further said poets are like trees who absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but released oxygen for the benefit of society.
Nine of eminent writers, poets and critics from Odisha were presented ‘SOA Sahitya Samman’ on the occasion. They included storyteller Achyutananda Pati, writer Satakadi Hota, linguist Dr Debi Prasanna Patnaik, novelist and writer Prof Santanu Kumar Acharya, poet and writer Ramakanta Rath, translator and poet Srinivas Udgata, critic Prof Dasarathi Das, poet and critic Dr Sitakanta Mahapatra and novelist Bibhuti Patnaik. Litterateur Dr Jagannath Prasad Das and noted theatre personality Anant Mahapatra, also chosen for the honour, could not be present.
The awardees were presented a citation, an uttariya, a statuette of goddess Saraswati and a cash component of Rs 1 lakh. It was announced on the inaugural day of the festival that the ‘SOA Sahitya Samman’ would be presented at the national level from next year with a cash component of Rs 7 lakh.
Vice-President of Kendra Sahitya Akademi Kumud Sharma also addressed the gathering.
Felicitating the awardees, Sharma said that these literary greats had spent their lives to serve literature which ignites hope in the society immersed in gloom. “While exposing the contradictions in the society, literature also acts as the glue to keep it together,” she said.
Sharma said the writers have the responsibility to speak up for the ‘dumb masses’ who have none to represent them.
The fest was organised by the SOA Centre for Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN), the conservation arm of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University.
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