KLF building a unique Indian expression: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) The Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) has been able to offer a unique experience that will better Indian society, said Hardeep Sigh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Urban Affairs while attending the concluding day of the eighth edition of KLF held in Bhubaneswar.

"As the pandemic has offered all of us a chance to reconnect with ourselves, it is time for us Indians to decolonise our minds and own literary achievement," he said during the valedictory session of the literary festival, attending via video link from Delhi.

The three-day event was a success as it held discussions and insights on India's world-class literary culture and how to preserve its rich legacy, Puri said.

The festival hosted doyens of literary and creative minds of India and global reputes. "We will be organising an edition of KLF in Kathmandu, Nepal from next year," said Rashmi Ranjan Parida, founding director of KLF.

On the concluding day, a total of 30 sessions were held simultaneously on subjects such as 'Atmanirbhar Bharat: Path Towards a Global Economic Power', translation, prose literature, Odissi Music, the discipline of poetic life, the role of newspaper and radio in the time of disruptive media, publishing of vernacular literature, historical fiction, the millennial generation and women of India, analysis on Odia autobiography, fiction writing along with sessions on writing workshop, poetry recitation and on musical performances.

Speaking during 'Identifying priorities key for Atmanirbhar Bharat', former Indian ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae said India needs to act upon two areas to become 'atmanirbhar' -- identifying and promoting areas where India has a competitive advantage and investing in future technology such as 3D printing.

He also remarked that the international business agreements which have been announced by the Indian government must have to meet their logical end to make a resilient India which will be the right step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Paralympic medal winner Pramod Bhagat, during a discussion held on private and corporate funding in sports in India and its current trend, said that it was important that corporate funding in sports should not be based upon immediate returns.

"It requires a decade of effort to produce an Olympic level sportsperson. They should have a long term vision while planning an investment in this area," he added.

He also lauded the efforts of Odisha governments in this regard to promote sports in the state and listed out some notable investments in this regard such as the announcement of 89 multi-purpose stadiums across the state.

The concluding day also witnessed 10 book launches including 'Second Innings', edited by sports journalist Ayaz Memon. During the three-day event, a total of 30 books were launched. In the Mystic Mic programme on Sunday, a total of 20 performers showcased their talents to an enthralled audience in form poetry recitation.