post news network, Bhubaneswar, June 7: Writers, working in different genres ranging from fiction to poetry, drama, etc., Sunday met for a brainstorming session at the Soochna Bhavan in the city during the annual day celebrations of the Pragatisila Lekhaka Mahasangha.
The city-based federation, on the occasion, also felicitated several people of the state for their valuable contributions to the world of literature, music, dance and social work. A number of cultural programmes such as, Jagannath vandana, Odissi dance, Sambalpuri dance and break dance were performed during the course of the event.
A number of dignitaries attended the programme and shared their views on writing. Speaking on the occasion, Rajya Sabha MP from Orissa, Baishnab Charan Parida said, “Writers are an important part of the society. They are in fact the non-elected parliamentarians of the society. They reflect the image of the society through their writings. The discussions held today, as part of the session, was very fruitful and need adulations.”
Damodar Rout, minister of cooperation, excise said, “The history of our state is very rich. Our ancestors were the architects responsible for what our state is today. But several people are now forgetting their roots and are blindly following alien cultures and languages. These days, there are plenty of children in the state who are more comfortable in English than in Oriya. We need to protect our language, to protect our culture.”
A number of people from other sections of the society too were present during the discussion session. Prasanna Padhi, a social worker from the state, said, “People of the state were overwhelmed when the classical language status was given to the Oriya language. But what is the condition of Oriya today, is a matter to ponder over. Even today, English is a craze among many people. Many kids are moving away from their cultural roots, which indeed is a matter of concern.”
The organisers of the meet said that the main motive behind organising the meet was to celebrate the special day of the federation and also to promote thought-provoking discussions on wide-ranging topics related to literature and writing.