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SAARC writers debate terrorism at Agra literary festival Agra:
The SAARC festival of Literature has commenced in Agra with terrorism forming
the central theme. Activists and academicians from the region including India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka seemed determined to make sincere
efforts to develop a peaceful atmosphere and promote culture and creativity in
the entire SAARC region. The aftermath of unprecedented terrorist attacks in Mumbai,
ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and the political turmoil in Pakistan are important
events, which have shaken and shattered societies. GLW Samarasinghe, secretary
in the Sri Lankan Department of Culture said "This SAARC literary festival is
a very good platform to discuss everything with regard to violence or terrorism."
The festival will cover a wide range of themes: role of wordsmiths in terror ridden
times and its impact on literature and popular culture, prevailing conditions
of chaos and confusion, exploring history, resolving ethnic angst and poetry recitations,
and readings of short stories. Dinesh Mishra, a writer, said that the country
needs a homogenous society with an understanding of a great variance of multiple
races, religions, languages, castes, colours and cultures. "Definitely, we need
to build a platform for it. We need to increase human sensitization so that everyone
in society realizes the right and wrong aspects. We need to strike a deal with
the right forces and develop brotherhood. Our differences need to be tolerated
and have to learn living with it so that we can live peacefully," said Mishra.
The eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to
be represented at the festival are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Nepal, the Maldives and Afghanistan. The Festival comes at a difficult time, when
expectations from creative fraternity and right-minded peace activists have soared
high in the aftermath of unprecedented terrorists attack on Mumbai. The SAARC
festival Literature is a four-day event, which will conclude on March 16.
-Mar
14, 2009
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