: Literature is not just something that you can read to pass away time; it is a force that controls life, said noted writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair.
Addressing the inaugural function of the maiden Kerala Literature Festival here on Thursday, he said such festivals were meant to celebrate literature, which was the philosophy of life.
In his inaugural address, Minister for Culture K.C. Joseph spoke on the importance of literature festivals at a time of rising intolerance. He said they played a major role in preserving the identity of languages and cultures. He explained the various measures taken by the State government to preserve the language, like declaring Malayalam as official language.
Writer Githa Hariharan spoke on the ‘Government of the tongue,’ which has gone beyond State or mob censorship. “It is no longer about preventing the tongue from asking hard questions, but about cutting it off,” she said citing the instances of attack on writers and intellectuals in the country. “The difference is that the forces that govern the tongue are now supported by the authorities and ideologies shared by a majority,” she added.
Writer Prathibha Ray said diversity of languages and culture was a strength and not weakness of the country. “Each language is a star in the sky that makes it more beautiful,” she said.
Festival Director K. Sachidanandan presided over the inaugural function, which was followed by a discussion on ‘Literature in troubled times’ in which M.T, Prathibha Ray and Githa Hariharan took part. A culinary fest led by Maria Goretti, noted food blogger, was a major attraction at the festival venue. The four-day festival will have around 160 writers from all over the country. Writers Anita Nair, Jaishree Mishra, Meena Kandaswamy, Ashok Vajpei, Leena Manimekalai besides most of the noted writers in the State will take part in the festival.
