Guwahati hosts Pragjyotishpur lit fest, Arunachal speaker highlights cinema’s role in shaping society

Hundreds of literature enthusiasts gathered for the three-day Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2024, at Assam's Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra campus in Guwahati, from December 13-16.

Among prominent speakers, Er. Debaang Tayeng from Arunachal Pradesh also highlighted the role of cinema in shaping society at the Pragjyotishpur LitFest.

The inaugural ceremony featured Dr. Malini Goswami, former Vice-Chancellor of Assam Women's University and a renowned academic researcher, as the chief guest. Distinguished columnist, journalist, and economist Swaminathan Gurumurthy delivered the keynote address.

At the Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival in Guwahati, the session 'Beyond Entertainment: Role of Cinema in Society' saw a compelling contribution from Tayeng. 

Arunachal's Tayeng also focused on how cinema introduces fresh ideologies and shapes societal progress, particularly in culturally diverse regions. Moderated by poet and film critic Aparajita Pujari, the session also featured senior filmmaker Atul Gangwar, who spoke on cinema’s power for social change, and actor Kapil Bora, who stressed meaningful storytelling. Academic Samrat Bora joined Tayeng in emphasising cinema’s transformative impact on society and culture. 

Tayeng is an engineer by profession and currently posted as an Executive Engineer under Tezu Division in Lohit District. He also leads the Central Donyi-Polo Yelam Kebang as its Secretary General.

The event commenced with a rendition of a Borgeet by Vidyasagar and was attended by Lt. General (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, president of the organizing body, Sankaradeva Education and Research Foundation. Other notable attendees included writer Tarun Boro, chairperson of the organizing committee, Pragjyotishpur University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Smriti Kumar Sinha, and special guest speakers — lawyer-author J Sai Deepak and Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor and author Anand Ranganathan.

Under the theme "In Search of Roots," the first day of the festival featured insightful deliberations on the need to explore India's rich heritage and knowledge traditions. In his welcome speech, Lt. General Kalita reflected on the relevance of the valor and strategies of Mahabir Lachit from a military perspective, emphasizing the importance of sharing such historical narratives with younger generations.

In her address, Dr. Malini Goswami traced the journey of Assamese literature from ancient to modern times, highlighting the region's deep-rooted connection with India's broader literary and cultural traditions. 

Delivering the keynote speech, "Development Through Culture," Swaminathan Gurumurthy critically examined the distorted portrayal of India in global narratives. 

Expressing his discontent, Gurumurthy stated that while India gained independence 75 years ago, it has yet to develop truly independent thinking. He questioned the Western analytical lens often used to assess India and lamented how Indian education has historically suppressed entrepreneurial spirit in favor of promoting a mindset focused solely on employment.

Following the inaugural session, three lecture sessions were held. Legal expert and writer J Sai Deepak delivered a talk on "The Constitution and Civilization," while Anand Ranganathan presented an analysis titled "From the Treadmill to the Travelator: India by 2047." Economist and historian Sanjeev Sanyal offered a perspective on the importance of revisiting historical narratives in his talk, "The Importance of Historical Reassessment."

Several panel discussions and workshops were conducted over the first two days, with the third day underway, set to conclude today, December 15. Today’s closing discussions include topics such as "Heritage and Cultural Identity: The Role of Technology," "The Role of the Brahmaputra River in Assam's Diverse Society," "Transforming Journalism: Credibility and Reliability," and "Beyond Entertainment: The Role of Cinema in Shaping Societal Values."