Time to decolonise minds, make our own literary achievements: Hardeep Singh Puri at KLF

Bhubaneswar: As the COVID-19 pandemic has given people a chance to reconnect with themselves, it is time to “decolonise our minds” and make our own literary achievements, said Union Minister Hardeep Sigh Puri while virtually attending the valedictory event of the eighth edition of Kalinga Literary Festival here yesterday.

The Kalinga Literature Festival has been able to offer an unique experience that will better Indian society, he added.

The three-day event held discussions on India’s world-class literary culture and how to preserve its rich legacy.

On the concluding day, total 30 sessions were held simultaneously on various subjects, including ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat: Path towards a global economic power, Odissi music, discipline of poetic life, role of newspaper and radio in the time of disruptive media, publishing of vernacular literature, historical fiction, the millennia generation and women of India, analysis on Odia autobiography.

Speaking on  the occasion, former Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae said to become ‘Atmanirbhar’, India needs to act upon two areas–identifying and promoting areas where India has competitive advantage and investing in future technology such as 3D printing. He also remarked that the international business agreements which have been announced by Centre must have to meet their logical end to make a resilient India which will be a right step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Speaking on corporate funding in sports, Tokyo Paralympics gold medalist Pramod Bhagat said corporate funding in sports should not be based upon immediate return.

“Corporate investment in sports should not be based upon return on investment concept alone, since it requires nearly a decades of effort to produce an Olympic level sports person. They should have long term vision while planning an investment in this area,” she said.

He also lauded the efforts of Odisha Government to promote sports in the state and highlighted some of the investments in this regard like announcement of 89 multi- purpose stadiums across the state.

KLF Founding Director Rashmi Ranjan Parida said, “The festival is proud to have hosted doyens of literary and creative minds of India and of global reputes. The festival has become the best platform for intellectual and thinkers alike. We will be organising an edition of KLF in Kathmandu, Nepal from next year.”