Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi (CSA) on December 4 hosted a grand International Poetry Festival at the UT Guesthouse, Chandigarh, under the guidance of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Chairman, CSA.
The event was presided over by Madhav Kaushik, President, National Sahitya Akademi. The chief guest was Dr. Sumita Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana, and the special guest was Professor Yojna Rawat, Panjab University.
In his welcome address, Academy Chairman Dr. Manmohan Singh stated that the world’s first lover must have been a poet, or rather, the world’s first poet must have been a lover. The presence of internationally renowned poets is a significant achievement in fostering a literary environment in Chandigarh. The Academy is committed to the all-round development of literature in Chandigarh through such events.
Academy Vice Chairman Dr. Anish Garg stated that poets like Kira Wuk from the Netherlands, Melanie Leblang from France, Tenzin Tsuande from Tibet, Kewal Binabi from Nepal, Robin Ngongom from Shillong, P. Raman from Kochi, Anshumankar from Calcutta, Priyamvada from Jaipur, Chandra Prakash from Ajmer, Adnan Kafeel from Delhi, Swargjeet Savi from Ludhiana, and others captivated the audience with their powerful performances.
Dr. Garg stated that the poets present from various countries and states today proved through their participation that poetry knows no boundaries, no language, no geography. It simply connects hearts. Madhav Kaushik, who chaired the event, said that the presence of these eminent poets made this festival not just an event but a unique literary experience filled with the fragrance of words. Chief guest Dr. Sumita Mishra said that poetry is a bridge that connects hearts, a mirror in which one sees the reflection of one’s own emotions.
Special guest Professor Yojna Rawat said, “the writing and recitation of these writers brought to life the many shades of love, pain, hope, struggle, and humanity on this stage.
Your poems weren’t just heard; they were felt, and that is the greatest success of any art.” Academy Secretary Subhash Bhaskar said that the event was hosted by Ravinder Kaur Dhaliwal. Special guests at the event included Manju Jaidka, Nirupama Dutt, Satpal Bhikhi, Vijaya Singh, Ambrish, Sunayana Jain, Gul Chauhan, Sushil Dosanjh, Annu Rani Sharma, and Deepak Dalewan.
Eminent litterateurs of the city Santosh Dhiman, Prem Vij, Chaman Lal Chaman, Santosh Garg, Daljeet Kaur, Bhupinder Malik and Amandeep Saini were specially present in this program.
