post news network, Bhubaneswar, June 24: On the occasion of the 32nd annual literary festival of Writer’s Federation of Orissa, a writers’ meet was held at the Soochana Bhawan here Wednesday. Noted Oriya writer Baishnab Charan Samal and Mamta Dash were felicitated with Saraswata Samman on the occasion.
Ramakant Rath, the noted Oriya poet, who attended the programme as the chief guest said, “Every writer at some point in the time has faced problems with language. They think something and want to express exactly the way they have thought, but they end up writing something else. Writing is a tough business; you need lots of patience and have to keep yourself tension-free for the free flow of thoughts and imagination.”
Speaking about the non-availability of Oriya literature books in places like Koraput, Sambalpur and other areas, he said, “There are many places where we can’t find Oriya books in bookstores. If a person wants to read Oriya stories, novels or poems, they can’t find it anywhere. Oriya literature will flourish only when books of prominent writers would be available easily. Now old books of many writers are not available, I feel that we should republish them so that they don’t go beyond the readers’ reach.”
Mamta Dash, said, “Many good writers are there in our state who didn’t get that recognition which they deserved. I have observed that people appreciate only those writers who have got some awards. Many prominent writers are there who didn’t get any big awards, but that doesn’t make them inferior. We should appreciate a writer for his/her writings not for the awards bagged. Many young writers are coming up, but I feel that they write for the sake of literature and not to get rewards or awards.”
Speaking on the occasion Baishnab Charan Samal said, “Writers never die, they become immortal through their writings, and I tried my best so that people would remember me through my writings.”
Baishnab Charan Parida, Rajya Sabha MP, who attended the program said, “With time many changes have occurred in the style of Oriya literature. Change is inevitable but I feel that the purity of the language should be kept.”
