India
The three-day festival will bring together Indian and foreign literary luminaries from the field of defence while showcasing the history and capabilities of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Updated : Nov 11, 2017, 06:35 AM IST
Come December, Punjab will hold India's first-ever Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh, showcasing intellectual and military excellence at its best.
Giving Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for pioneering the initiative which is being promoted jointly by the Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration, Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu formally announced the festival which is set to begin on December 7.
The three-day festival will bring together Indian and foreign literary luminaries from the field of defence while showcasing the history and capabilities of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Describing the event as a tribute to the armed forces whose contributions to the nation remain etched in history, Sidhu said Punjab stands tall in terms of Param Vir Chakras won by its men. He added that the festival was an apt and glowing tribute to the grit, courage and fearless determination of country's defence personnel.
Highlighting that Punjab had contributed maximum youth to Defence forces, Siddhu said the event would help plug the gap in the capabilities of Punjabi men and women seeking to join the defence forces. "Our boys are empowered with physical strength, but they lack the intellect needed to make them complete soldiers," he said.
The event is set to highlight the best of India's military might through literature, art, music, photography, seminars and discussions. Some of country's top defence experts, thinkers, authors, writers, poets, publishers and media personalities will participate in the event. "It will be an annual event, and from next year, it will be organised in various districts of the state," said Sidhu.
Several eminent historians including William Dalrymple, a number of defence experts and senior journalists are slated to be present in the three-day festival.