Before a packed audience, the moderator said that the raunchy ‘Beedi Jalaile’ song from the movie ‘Onkara’ has a literary aesthetic; and a silent gasp went up. From the stage of the newly renovated, old graceful Viceroy Auditorium, Gulzar Sahab began to recite the lines of the song in his resonating voice. Soon Vishal Bhardwaj joined in to sing the song in his melodious and powerful voice.
In the main auditorium of the Gaiety Cultural Complex, on stage were four transgenders and two gay men speaking emotively on the challenges faced by LGBTQ writers, while in the Town Hall people from different parts of the country were discussing the role of books in the freedom struggle. And down below, in the Tavern Hall of the complex, the discussion was on fantasy and science fiction writing in India.
Welcome to the expansive canvas painted by Unmesha, the International literature festival organised by the Sahitya Akademi, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, at Shimla. As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the festival captured the spirit of the mahotsav in a beautifully inclusive manner.
The festival was inaugurated by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture. Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya, an eminent scholar and saint, and Govind Singh, Minister of Education, Language and Culture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, were the Guests of Honour. Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was the Chief Guest at the valediction.
In the cool albeit crowded climes of Shimla, in the middle of June, the Akademi had gathered more than 425 authors, writers and artistes over three days to discuss and debate. The issues and topics covered were diverse and varied, and the people participating ranged from sitting Ministers and Governors to established literary stars and budding writers.
Minister Meghwal spoke with passion about his book ‘Ek Safar Humsafar ke Saath’ in the session on ‘What Literature means to me’, while Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammad Khan chaired the session on ‘Singing in Faith – Bhakti Literature in India’. There were distinguished authors from across the world, and Booker awardee Gitanjali Shree’s session was eagerly attended. Documentaries on eminent writers, including Khushwant Singh, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Dharmveer Bharti and UR Ananthmurhty were also screened.
It could have turned into a logistical nightmare – housing, feeding and transporting more than 400 people from different directions of Shimla to the venue at the Ridge. However, the Sahitya Akademi pulled off the event rather seamlessly through patience and planning. The evenings had cultural events, including performances by Sonal Mansingh and troupe, and ‘Dastan-e Karn’ by Mahmood Farooqui.
Over 63 languages found a voice in the 62 sessions spread out over three days. Parallel sessions were conducted in six halls and in a day, one could hear enthusiastic and divergent views on women’s issues, tribal writings, folklore or sessions on unrecognised languages. Why do I write? What does literature mean to me? Is there a future for poetry? What freedom means to me? – there were many sessions that were personal and introspective and yet the ideas expressed resonated with those who listened.
Translations and their role, the impact of literature, books and media on the freedom struggle, and diaspora literary expression had their say, and cinema and its literary aesthetics were a great draw. For the participants, the tourists that were thronging, and the locals of Shimla – there was something in the schedule that would pull you in to the discussions.
It was three days of stimulating intellectual discourse that had the smell of the soil, as well as the fresh breeze of the mountains and everything in between. The churning of ideas stayed with one long after the festival was over. Listen again to ‘Beedi Jalaile’ – swirling in the item song is a scathing comment on class divisions and exploitation!
