Safeguard of native languages stressed at Literature Fest
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 24 2021: Imphal Literature Festival organised by Sahitya Thoupang Lup since the year 2013 to upgrade and bring Manipuri literature to the global literary platform was held on Wednesday at Manipur Press Club.

As the chief guest during inauguration of festival's 9th edition, DM University vice chancellor professor N Rajmohun said that there is close relation between science and literature.

Science is being studied to know cultural heritage of a society and-many scientists are of the view that science, literature and art go together, he added.

Marathi poet translator Prafull Shiledar, who was guest of honour at the event, said that he was very fortunate to take part in the festival and interact with writers and cultural activists of Manipur.

India is a land having varied cultures and anyone who gets an opportunity to get acquainted with culture of Other land should grab the same as this will expand the thought of mankind, he said, adding that the most fortunate person is the one who has ability to know culture of different lands.

While stating that loving literature is loving language, Prafull Shiledar pointed out that the country has 22 official languages and there are 19,500 mother tongue languages as per the 2011 census and this shows that the country has vast culture.

Every language is an asset and history of culture and the country having more than 19,500 languages is a unique one, he said and appealed to people to make effort for understanding other's culture and promoting own language at the same time.

According to Prafull Shiledar, regional languages are on the verge of extinction as a result of globalisation and marketization and extinction of a language is akin to uprooting the community speaking that language.

He also called for handling the matter wisely and carefully.

Festival Committee chairman Saratchand Thiyam said that world is a global village now and Manipuri literature needs to survive and strive among bigger literatures of the world to showcase that Manipuris are also living in this global village.

While stating that technology is killing languages, Saratchand Thiyam said that lingua franca coming from outside are beginning to replace mother language and it is need of the hour to make the present generation children aware about having their own beautiful mother language.

He also said that the festival was organised with the main objective of keeping alive indigenous languages.

As part of the festival, Sahitya Akademi awardee RK Bhubonsana chaired a literary session of reading out poems and short stories, which was participated by 18 writers.

The festival was also attended by Hindi fiction writers Manoj Rupada and Kailash Banwasi and journalist, theatre activist and film maker Rajkumar Soni.

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