My dear Mrs. Ajeet Cour,

I thank you most sincerely for you letter of invitation to me for participating in the “Festival of SAARC Literature”, in Agra on 13 March 2009. I am also grateful for your considering me as Chief Guest in this august moot of gifted litterateurs from all SAARC member countries.

May I say it has been with immense pleasure I went through the contents of your letter. I was particularly impressed that the gathering of scholars would also deliberate, among other important issues, the serious theme of terrorism, and its multi-dimensional impact, on the lives and literature of the people in our South Asian region. The intellectual level of discussions would surely give birth to new and innovative ideas, which could inspire governments in appraising afresh their measures and policies towards this, and other growing malaises, like ethnic conflicts and fundamentalism. Moreover, the presence of literary geniuses as Mahasveta Didi would undoubtedly contribute significantly to the intellectual aura and ambience of the literary festival.

As one who delves in art and literature, in rarely available spare time these days, it was for me an opportunity for enjoyment and pleasure. Unfortunately, I have to forego this unique opportunity, in view of the tragedy of 25 February, when we lost scores of our youthful army officers, in an act of unprecedented terrorism ever to occur anywhere in our present day world. As of now, I am deeply engrossed in sharing the sorrows of families of those who have lost their near and dear ones, as well as calming our stunned nation. I am sure you understand the gravity of our national dilemma, and therefore, would appreciate my inability to be present in this year’s “Festival of SAARC Literature.” However, I would look forward to such enjoyable occasions in the future.

In my absence, nevertheless, I have asked Selina Hossain, House # 16/A, Road # 2, Shyamoli, Dhaka-1207 (email: saquib@agni.com) and Dr. Muhammad Samad, Prof., Institute of Social Welfare & Research, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1205 (email: samadswidu@yahoo.com) two of our promising litterateurs, to participate in this important gathering of writers of the SAARC region.
 

Yours Sincerely,

(Sheikh Hasina)
 

Mrs. Ajeet Cour
Chief Advisor
Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)
4/6, Siri Fort Institutional Area,
New Delhi-11 0049,
India.

Dear Ajeet,

Thank you for your letter of 24 January and 12 February inviting me to inaugurate the SAARC Festival of Literature. I would have loved to take time off and be amongst all you writers and poets. Unfortunately, that cannot be. You know that is a luxury I cannot afford. Therefore, I must decline your very kind offer. I know that you understand and therefore you will not be too upset with me.

I am very sorry to hear that you have not been receiving any help from the Centre for Bhutan Studies. This year is very special for all of us in Bhutan and we have been celebrating for too long. That and the transition to the new form of Government means that we are all now glued to the grindstone. So you must excuse us. I am sure that in the next year you will be flooded with too many contributions from Bhutan !

Thank you again for inviting me to inaugurate the Festival and I deeply regret that I am not able to join you all.

In all my years of services, this is the most painful moment and a letter that I must write to you; and what makes it even worse is that - it is “you” who is so earnestly making the repeated requests with so much of perseverance. If only, I had the better options or even can make it to the Festival - I would have immediately taken the great honour bestowed upon me by a person who has earned my greatest respect. But sadly, as I have tried to explain in my last mail - it would not be appropriate for me to leave my post in the present situation.

I am fully aware of the pain and the inconvenience I have caused to you. I will not only regret this but it will haunt me for years to come - and this is particularly, not for the SAARC organization which will always be dear to my heart, but for you!

I only wish I had the gift and power of words (like you) to make you see the difficulty of the situation I am in, right now; as I don’t - I can only say - I am really and truly very sorry.

I also take this opportunity to thank you for your prayers and best wishes on my new assignment - the very assignment that has prohibited me from making it to the Festival. But please understand and be compassionate towards my cause and realize the difficulty of the situation that I am in - I have yet to make the Council fully functional. The Council Office, though the Office infrastructure is ready - I have yet to recruit the staff and delegate responsibilities. The Council work plan & annual calender has been pending for a while, although very recently, other Council Members have been appointed; on top of that, every now and then, I receive new directions and Command from the Palace which are mostly time-bound and one that I must do myself. We are expecting a visiting delegation soon, but have received no information as to from where or when. And therefore, I must make and keep myself available at all times.

Therefore, although SAARC activities are always dear to my heart, my King and other colleagues depend on my being here and I cannot afford to disappoint them; especially not now, when we have just been launched and a lot of issues have to be streamlined within the stipulated time. But please don’t misunderstand me, I am not comparing the importance of the SAARC Festival and the Council - they are both important, but in SAARC - we have people like you who can shoulder the burden and make suitable changes to suit the need; right now I have only me.

So I need all your prayers and blessing, especially now, to overlook my absence at the Festival but also I expect to receive equal support in my endeavour as the Chairman of the Royal Privy Council by firstly forgiving me and then by being happy for me (your brother).

In near future, I will find a better time to personally make up for the inconvenience and the hurt I might have caused you. I am deeply sorry and wish things had been different!

Lyonpo C. Dorji
Chairman, Royal Bhutan Privy Council

Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji: Bhutan

My dear Sister Ajeet Cour,

CONGRATULATIONS!! Your enthusiasm and glory sparkles through every word in your letter. What can I say - a great job well done, needs no reference nor words can do justice in describing it! I guess you have to live it!! And nothing less is either expected from you nor FOSWAL with so many talented and dedicated people. I take this opportunity to Congratulate each and every distinguished members of FOSWAL and all the writers who have attended the FESTIVAL. History has been created and I am sure “a new dimension of hope” has been created in everyone’s life; and this will no doubt will make a difference in our much needed world.

What can I say about FOSWAL ! Not that there is nothing to say but there is just too much to say! The enormous work done by the Foundation - all equally important!!

FOSWAL has maintained its status as “Think Tank of SAARC Intelligentsia” an honor bestowed by the Heads of the States during the SAARC SUMMIT ten years ago. And further recognition as the “SAARC APEX BODY” authorized to do cultural and literary programmes, seminars, and Festivals of Literature and Folklore, is well earned and well deserved.

“A Pen is mightier than the Sword” is an ancient wisdom and FOSWAL has used the pen as the weapon – work together, break down barriers and walls and Keep marching forward in quest for peace! Much has been done and much will be done. God bless FOSWAL.

Regarding the SAARC SUMMIT. I am very pleased and happy that Bhutan will be holding the 16th SAARC SUMMIT for many reasons. Firstly, We have not assumed the Chair of SAARC since its inception in 1985. The theme (Climate Change) is also most appropriate and very relevant. Here in Bhutan, our culture is alive and environment pristine and intact but we alone cannot make a difference.

Second, Bhutan has made a very historic and unique transition to democracy - A Gift from a Monarch to his people.

And finally, GNH! Ultimate objective of development initiated by His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Heads and representatives of the member states and the observers from various countries – they can see for themselves!

We welcome all the distinguished guests of the SAARC SUMMIT and wish them a very successful summit and an enjoyable stay in Bhutan.

Finally, please accept a big heartfelt “CONGRATULATION” once again for the successful FESTIVAL - Tashi Delek!

With most affectionate regards, Your Brother,

Lyonpo C. Dorji

Chairman Royal Privy Council, Bhutan

ABHI SUBEDI: Nepal

Agreement with  Nature

Ashis Nandy, an Indian sociologist and versatile scholar, rose to comment on the papers read at a seminar, which he was chairing. Utilising the “two minutes” given to him to speak, he said, “Pakistan survived four periods of military rule since independence, and is still practising democracy. Similarly, Nepal overthrew the tyrannical rule after a very short struggle. So these two countries’ names should be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records.” The occasion was the SAARC literary festival organised in Delhi from March 26-28. The focus was on the environment, ecology and literature. Out of the many topics floated for the seminar, I had chosen a somewhat curiously architected topic — architecture and ecology for my paper.

After the session, Ashis Nandy along with some other writers and academics discussed the situation of Nepal with me. As he is familiar with the politics of Nepal and has friends among the media people, politicians and academics, Nandy was only discussing the familiar with me. The other people I met and talked to were Karan Singh, Abid Hussein and Mark Tully with whom I had shared the SAARC literary award on the occasion. A pleasant peace activist and social worker from Kolkata by the name of O.P. Shah dressed in impeccable white and wearing silvery hair showered me with questions about Nepali politics. His questions covered subjects that I am not very familiar with. He very strongly wanted to know the status of the Hindus in Nepal; what the Maoists think of the holy cow; what language do the Muslims of Nepal speak, Nepali or Urdu; what do the Maoists think of India and what is it that they precisely want India to do; what would happen to Nepal now and so on.

The gist of the entire conversation was that Indian scholars, Nepal lovers and friends and also those who are intrigued by some of the political discourses going on are very concerned about post-Girija Babu Nepal. They had read the papers; they had received news and seen the tides of human sea rising when his cortege was being led to Aryaghat. Their interest plus that of a brilliant woman of the Press Trust of India who came to talk to me after I had read a poem during the kavi gosthi titled “In Memory of GPK” made me wonder if Girija Babu was a Gandhi. In reality, he was not a Gandhi. He was a party leader who struggled with contentious issues on intra-party and inter-party bases. He was involved in controversies of different natures. He was not a renouncer, but a conscious power seeker.

Then what is it that has impelled many people at home and outside to think of his death as a big loss and an event that will set “anarchy loosened upon the world”, to borrow the phrase from an apocalyptic poem of W.B. Yeats? I asked myself why did I, a maverick, who works on themes of anarchy and follows off-beat practices, write these lines on him: “Some emergency meeting / a declaration writ on a vacuum, / a sky bruised from dragging many a time / down history’s memory lanes, / masses of chrysanthemum and marigold, / tides of pliant flower petals / rose in the eyes of young men and women / round the old statesman’s / quietening life storm of nearly a century”?

I am not a Lok Raj Baral, a political scholar and thinker to answer all these intricate questions. The only answer I venture at this moment is that the speed of change which Ashis Nandy said metaphorically should earn Nepal a place in the Guinness Book, seeks to locate a persona, an actor in history who had played an important role in all these events. The turbulence created by the big achievements of the people of Nepal puts Girija Babu and his role as a father figure and arbitrator at the centre. The Nepali people won freedom, abolished the monarchy and have left history poised to enter a new mode of awakening and achievement.

I had gone to attend a seminar on conservation and literature organised by the apex body of the Foundation of SAARC writers and artists and present a paper on the city as the theatre of the conservation drama. The president of the SAARC writers’ body Ajeet Cour presented a prolegomena as it were to a book that will compile all these papers. She put literary and artistic imaginaire in the context of the destruction of the environment. She spoke about the danger of maina and cuckoo birds only going down in memories and mentioned only in the texts of poets who have heard them. She linked the overall environmental problems to the other political decisions of governments, who in their mad pursuit of power and capital, are destroying a balance that will be hard to restore.

A literary writer’s call came from what I have said earlier this frail woman but a powerful writer and activist. My main interest was the heterotopic use of space in Nepal Mandala, and to show a different energy working behind the covenant between the farmers and the architectural sites they themselves had created in the past, some of which are used for tourism but most of them are either lying in neglect or disappearing today. My argument is that the power of the balance, the ecological harmony of nature and constructions, as we can see in the old monuments of Nepal Mandala, shows that what people did outside the main spaces in olden times here was not subversion but a process of constant renewal of agreement with nature, which is different from what Western scholars say about the otherness and subversive uses of space. Unfortunately today, subversions are coming from outside. But in the festivals and jatras, the original power can be seen. I said, this should be a model for others also for the search and restoration of the balance. Nepal Mandala is going through a serious period of crisis. Some architects are trying to restore some of the old structures into their original forms, and other architects and theatre persons are trying to create awareness about it. But their number is very small. I was so happy to see that FOSWAL had invited some very good poets and a social worker Dambarbir Thapa to this conference; they made their diverse presentations. Poets Manu Manjil, Suman Pokharel, Jyoti Jangal, Gita Tripathi, Sabita Gautam and Bhupen Vyakul presented very fine and charming poems. I was overwhelmed to hear their presentations and to share feelings. The three-day event was a lovely chaos, and things moved each day in serendipity. But the general atmosphere was one of diversity because I met politicians, poets, novelists, social workers, scientists and media people during the three-day conference. The most impressive part of every seminar and meeting organised in India is that it happens in a free atmosphere. Issues of all natures are freely discussed and contested at such meetings. Nepali politics, even though it is a constantly reported subject there, appears to be creating more confusions among the Indian elite and media each day, and Girija Babu’s departure has foregrounded that.

BALRAJ PURI: India

Potentialities of South Asian Identity

The potentialities of South Asian identity were unfolded in three day SAARC writers and literature conference which I attended recently in Delhi. It became fairly obvious that bilateral disputes, which have retarded the growth of the region, are cut to size when viewed in the context of the SAARC. Moreover South Asian identity can better be developed through non-official efforts than by formal governmental efforts.

The delegates to the conference became conscious and emphasized the common civilisational heritage and cultural connectivity. More than formal sessions, off session intervals, gave opportunities of person to person contacts in which they learnt about one another’s country and commonalities between them. They also got better understanding of mutual disputes and ground realities than they used to get through pronouncements of their respective governments. While poetry, and its translation into English was widely appreciated, it was classical music, in the afternoons which mesmerized the hall full audience of the India International Centre. The audience included interested persons from Delhi.

Many delegates visited historical landmarks of Delhi which are in plenty and were reminded of the links with countries of some of them. Muslims of Pakistan and Bangladesh, in particular, discovered vital contribution of Muslims to India’s composite personality, architecture, music, literature and arts and India’s contribution to Islam’s thought and practices.

Some intellectual participants were inspired to think of the unique role that region can play in world affairs. The example of European Union was often cited where after centuries of disputes and warfare member countries have learnt the benefit of living in harmony. After the devastation caused by the second world war, they not only recovered fast and developed but are also are making contribution the affairs of the world.

The common threat of pollution and environmental degradation was also one of the themes of the conference. According to a Pakistani delegates, real threat was that of political pollution. This reflected the common disillusionment with politicians. But the political consequences of environment degradation too, cannot be brushed aside. For instance, Indian rivers are the major source of supply of water to Pakistan. Depleting supply is becoming main issue of dispute between the two countries. Construction of dams on rivers flowing to Bangladesh and inadequate flow of water were likewise a major cause of strained relations between India and Bangladesh. Similarly cracking bandhs on Kosi river in Nepal had caused a flood in Bihar and vast devastation. It is said that future wars would be on water.

The intellectuals of the region can take a more dispassionate view and make a solid contribution to the governmental actions in resolving such disputes as also of dealing with problems of global warning.

Another important lesson of the conference was increased awareness of commonalities at sub-national levels. While rich heritage of Urdu in India was a powerful bond between Mahajars from Pakistan and Urdu writers of India and to some extent with Hindi writers also. The Mahajars paid homage to the land of Ghalib and Mir who are universally respected in India and Pakistan. Similarly Punjabis of India and Pakistan felt proud of their Punjabi identity which had no less emotional appeal than that of their respective national identities. The upsurage of Punjabi identity in Pakistan, represented by organizations like Panjan Panian Dee Virasat (cultural heritage of five rivers) and Punjabi papers like Leharan, was appreciated by Indian Punjabis while Punjabi poetry recited by them was equally appreciated by Pakistani Punjabis.Sindhis were keen to meet Indian Sindhis.

Bengalis on both sides are proud of their languages and rich literary and cultural history. It is no accident that Tagore is the common author of national anthems of India and Bangladesh. The conference was a good reminder of the common bonds. It was equally true about Tamils of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu as also Singhalese Buddhists and land of birth of Lord Budha. There are common bonds of other countries of the regions also.

Indians have special responsibility to develop South Asian and sub-national identities as it alone has common border with all countries of the region and is a by far the bigger country, not only in size but also in economic, military and political power. It is in India’s self-interest to cultivate these identities and to be more generous in helping the member countries in their development.

The recent SAARC conference was organized by Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature in collaboration with Indian Council of Cultural Relations and attended by eminent persons from, besides India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldeve. For some of them it was their visit to India which enabled them to understand it better and remove some of their misconceptions.

 MARK TULLY: India

I was surprised and greatly honoured to be presented with a SAARC Literary Award on the first day of the festival. The organizers had gathered together a distinguished panel for the opening session, under the chairmanship of Dr Karan Singh. It was particularly interesting to hear the contributions from the Pakistani delegates and to meet them as we have so little chance to learn about that important SAARC country here in India. We don’t hear enough about Bangladesh either so I was delighted  to meet my former BBC colleague and old friend, the poet Shamshul Haq. Among the many other writers I met I particularly remember my conversation with Kunzang Choden from Bhutan, and was pleased to learn about her long association with FOSWAL and her enthusiasm for the foundation.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend all the sessions but the poetry and the literature which I heard convinced me that the SAARC literary community can play a major role in overcoming the unfortunate tensions in this region. The writers and poets show that whatever our nationalities maybe those who live in the SAARC region share common concerns, and must come together to deal with problems which often overlap borders. . One of those concerns is the environment so it was particularly appropriate that the work of the Indian environmentalists Baba Sewa Singh, and Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal were recognized  by the awards they received.

JAYANTA MAHAPRATA : India

The formality and order inherent in literary festivals the world over cannot be denied. Among the many I have been fortunate to participate and read my own poetry has been  at the Silver Jubilee Conference of the Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies, a major and significant festival held long back in Canterbury, Kent, Britain in June 1989. I am keen to speak about this because I was (once again chosen) to be one of the first four readers of poetry at the Inaugural ceremony, alongwith Derek Walcott, Dennis Brutus, and Lorna Goodison, at the spacious and majestic Gulbenkian Theatre at the University of Canterbury.

My reason for bringing up the reading at the Gulbenkian is to focus mainly on the SAARC Literary Festival recently concluded at the luxurious auditorium of the India International Centre, New Delhi. Compared to the ostentatiousness and the concealed pride that the audience supposedly experienced, the festival at the New Delhi sported an informal atmosphere throughout the proceedings on the three days of the festival.

But it was not the writing on the wall, the delightfully executed notice on the FOSWAL Festival which was the epitome of simplicity I wish to speak about, but about the person, who by the purity of her faith in whatever she was doing, raised the boundaries of the festival to heights beyond the pursuits of our reason. It was Ajeet Cour who was everywhere, it was Ajeet Cour who inaugurated the festival, it was Ajeet Cour who restored our trembling beliefs in the fact that all the SAARC countries participating in the festival had almost the same problems facing them; and that these countries, irrespective of their religions or politics, could come together and bond in an intimate relationship with one another, especially in the literary sphere.

Perhaps three days weren’t enough for this type or a conference, a place where writers could meet each other and exchange intimacies and their hidden dreams. For, above all, it is just dreams which matter in the end, and it is but truth that emerges when one says that all literatures that matter, are fundamentally born out or dream writers have been nurturing all the years of their lives.

It was a quiet but lovely occasion, perhaps moments to remember for all time when Ajeet Cour inaugurated the festival, and we in the fully packed theatre, looked on with promise and wonder in our eyes. For we understood that FOSWAL was the leading purpose that drove one woman; and we, poets and writers present in the auditorium, were moving without doubt into tomorrow, a tomorrow where our individual attitudes could disappear, a tomorrow that could hold a deeper companionship, especially in the vast literary field.

As I speak of Ajeet Cour I am fully aware of many other significant figures who took active part in the FOSWAL celebrations, names like Abid Hussain, and Hamid Mir, Producer Geo TV, Pakistan – who went on to focus their speeches diligently on the main theme of the festival, the environment, and  the disastrous effects our living has had on it today. I do not wish to go into these in detail, and elaborate; many were the facts that came out from the developing nations, our  own SAARC countries, and which went against the massive irreparable damage done to the environment by the countries of the West. But then, most of the delegates agreed on the urgent need to save the environment, our flora and fauna, which made the world a delightful one for the generation before us.

It would be a matter of disrespect if I did not mention the poets who read out the inaugural poems in the second session of the festival. The inimitable poet Gulzar read out his poems in his gentle manner, leaving the audience spellbound. Clad in his white kurta and achkan, he recited his poetry in his chaste voice, the poetry bringing out Gulzar’s sensitivity, his modesty and his taste. Other readers followed from the SAARC nations, and it would be difficult for me to submit a detailed report here. On the whole, it was a program that spoke of refinement and humanity.

The SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award went to Hamid  Mir of Pakistan. Those of us here in India are fully aware of Mir’s unbiased reports on GEO TV, and it was no surprise to us that he received it. The other literary awards were given to Abhi Subedi of Nepal, and the former British media­man, Mark Tully, who represents India with his incisive reporting in social and political spheres. The SAARC Environment Awards went to Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, K.K. Mohammad and Baba Sewa Singh. My last line in respect of the SAARC Awards is a line that springs from love, for it was the Young Poet’s Award and Rubana Huq of Bnngladesh was rightly adjudged as the most fitting poet to receive the Award.

Needless for me to reiterate that Ajeet Cour grew in stature in these three days of the festival. The scent of her determination to see the proceedings through, filled the air. On March 27, the Academic Seminar ended on a friendly note after the delegates were shown different aspects of the damage to the environment and the ways taken to restore it. K.K. Mohammad in particular was voluble in his lecture to speak on what he has been doing in the dacoit-infested regions of India. The restoration of the ruined temples has been occupying him for a long time now.

But it was not only scholarship, in the form of debates, poems and stories, that we were treated to as a part of the SAARC family. When Jean Arasanayagam from Sri Lanka read out her poems, we did not feel as though we were not listening to poetry from our own country. I wish I could quote from the poems we heard from the many countries, but this poem could have come from any land - and not from the pen of Kunwar Narain, as is the case:

“…No…”

all these are not outsiders but my own,

I cannot kill them,

I shall not wage war…”

And like others, I would have been delighted had we listened to the poems from another young poet from Nepal, Gita Tripathi which had been done to music, but it wasn’t possible. And the days passed, our many smiles met, and our futures took on choicest shapes as the darkness of the March evenings brought on the Sufi Kalams from Pakistan.

And when the FOSWAL festival ended, I could sense the moistness in my friend’s eyes (standing beside me). There was not much to do now we would be meeting in Bhutan next, soon, perhaps quite soon. But in Ajeet Cour’s eyes, the celebrations of the festival remained a sort of prophetic effort to integrate the literary worlds of the varied countries of the South Asian region.

SELINA HOSSAIN : Bangladesh

Cultural Connectivity As I see it

When I arrived at Aurobindo International Guest House in Delhi, it was dark all around. The Guest House with its beautiful, calm and quiet surrounding had a charm of its own and I could not escape it in spite of the darkness.  

I was here to attend the SAARC Writers Conference, organized by FOSWAL from 26 to 29 March 2010, and I felt happy that I came. The venue was the Indian International Centre. As I was filling in the form at the reception at the Centre, a gentleman walked up to me, and said that he knew me by name and even had in his collection four of my books. He had obviously overheard the receptionist, who had asked my name. Earlier he was seated by my side for quite some time, but I had taken no notice of him. This was Imran Hussain, from Assam, a short story writer and a critic, writing in Ahamia. This was a pleasant surprise.  

It didn’t take me more than a moment to realize that this was what was meant, at least partially, by cultural connectivity. Ajeet Cour had spoken about it on various occasions. We the writers of the SAARC countries wished to know one another and also the cultural diversity of the region. Conferences FOSWAL organized provided an opportunity for this. The conferences were like bridges, spread from one corner of South Asia to another, connecting people, their culture and their values. 

I have been attending such conferences since 2000, and found each invigorating. The Delhi Conference of 2010 was no different and enriched me further. It began on 26 March, the day Bangladesh was born.  At 10:00 a. m., Dr Karan Singh inaugurated it by lighting a lamp.

Celebrating the independence of Bangladesh, my homeland, along with writers from other SAARC countries was a rare experience. FOSWAL had given its lifetime achievement award to Hamid Mir, a journalist from Pakistan. In his acceptance speech, Mir said that he was sorry for the genocide the Pakistan army had committed in Bangladesh in 1971 and wished Bangladesh happiness and prosperity. This was very moving. The audience applauded Mir. I could not check my tears; tears that brought back the memory of our War of Liberation and the sacrifice we had to make then; tears symbolical of the pride we take in our freedom. Hamid Mir was a regular contributor of columns to Prothom Alo and Daily Star, newspapers published from Dhaka. After the session, Mir told me that he would try to create public opinion against the genocide committed in 1971 and to convince the Government of Pakistan to offer apologies to Bangladesh.

The experience I gathered from the FOSWAL conference, Delhi 2010 is unforgettable. In her address at the inaugural ceremony, Ajeet jee too referred to the independence day of Bangladesh. I was very impressed by her remarks. This, surely, is the way human beings and nations came close to another. Writers can and do play a vital role in the process and can indeed take the leading role. Ajeet jee is a pioneer in this field in the SAARC region, fully dedicated to the cause of bringing writers from various cultures together. 

On March 28, the academic session was held in the morning. An exceptional power point presentation was made by K. K. Muhammad, an eminent archaeologist of India. He identified 17 temples and transplanted 5 temples in Madhya Pradesh. The way he did it was amazing. His expertise and commitment charmed the audience. He was congratulated for the excellent presentation by repeated applause. After him Mahbuba Nasreen of Bangladesh made a power point presentation. The title of her paper was ‘Climate change, Agriculture and Disaster: From Literature and Gender Perspective.’ She talked about literature and environment and the relation between the two convincingly.

We were nine (?) from Bangladesh: Syed Shamsul Haq, poet, playwright and novelist; Shamsuzzaman Khan, folklore expert and researcher; Quazi Rosy, poet; Jharna Rahman, fiction writer; Masuduzzaman, poet and researcher;  Papri Rahman, fiction writer; Nitupurna, poet; and I. 

I like attending conferences organized by FOSWAL, since these extend the frontiers of both my knowledge and experience, and do so unfailingly every time. This I have told writers and my other friends time and again. These also provide me with opportunities to renew old friendship and make new friends, and, of course, to get to know their works, especially the new ones. This time I met Gulzar again. I read his book Mirza Ghalib. I read Pavan K. Varma’s book Ghalib: The Man, The Times. I hope to write a novel in Bangla in the backdrop of Ghalib’s life. The book will be dedicated to Gulzar and Pavan K. Varma, since their books would be my primary sources for the material of the book. This too is, I believe, a kind of cultural connectivity, the kind that FOSWAL promotes.

This time I got an opportunity to know a few young poets from Nepal, and also writers from Afghanistan. This is how every conference of this kind enriches me and gives me a lot of pleasure.

‘Environment and Literature’ was the theme of the Conference. Ajeet Cour had written a letter on Environment to Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. This  was printed in the SAARC Journal Beyond Borders published by FOSWAL. In this letter she expressed her deep concern about the unfortunate impact the Commonwealth Games were likely to have on environment. I consider this letter to be a great example of both courage and commitment to human welfare. I hope this would inspire the writers from SAARC countries too. Writers should come forward hand in hand to register their protest if any human disaster takes place. There is a sentence in her letter like this: ‘Please save Delhi! Save India! By saving India, you will be helping in saving the planet also.’ In this conference FOSWAL had also awarded renowned environment specialists. Ajeet jee did not stop by writing a letter to the Prime Minister of her country. She took a step forward and honoured those who had made worthwhile contributions to the field. 

After the academic session, I told Mr. K. K. Muhammad that if we had a committed man like him in Bangladesh, many centuries-old relics of our heritages would have been safe from possible danger. This I said from the core of my heart. I know there are many in Bangladesh aware of such danger, trying hard to prevent it. Mr. Muhammad’s example could be inspiring to them.

The Delhi Declaration was adopted in the concluding session. The Conference came to an end with a cultural show. I enjoyed it very much, with lovely tunes reverberating in my memory as I left the Indian International Centre. There were echoes too of the writers’ laughter and their warm greetings.

I know Ajeet Cour will again invite writers, researchers, cultural activists, theatre artists, performing artists, journalists and many others from the countries of South Asia. The court of the Indian International Centre or maybe of some other place will come to life with their greetings and exchange of views. The lamp will again be lighted at the inaugural session. Poets will recite their poems. Thinkers will deliver their speech. And, we will join our hands again to salute Ajeet jee and to say how wonderful her team and she had been all the time and how they have worked untiringly for last two decades to build a network of the South Asian writers . Long live Cultural Connectivity in the SAARC Region ! Long live SAARC Writers and Intellectuals to keep raising their voice for cultural connectivity among the SAARC countries, the only way to Peace and Tranquility and Sustainable Development in the Region ! Long live Ajeet Cour, the great grandmother of Culture in the SAARC Region whose idea, sown like a little seed in 1987, have grown into a vast tree giving soothing shadow to all the writers and

MANU DASH: India

Respected Madam,

When words fail, silence talks a lot. I don’t find appropriate word to convey my warm regards and gratitude.

I would first congratulate you for keeping this journey of  SAARC Literature Festival alive .Your constant effort has made this dignified  institution not only unique but also made it an inimitable platform for  all writers to exchange their ideas. Rightly Dr Karan Singh ,for that reason alone, had all praise for you during his inaugural speech.

Madam, as I had requested you during the festival, I would like to request you once again, to send me the draft of your inaugural address to translate and publish in Oriya for the larger readership. Your address was not only excellent but also opened a new vista for young writers. I once again convey my gratitude for giving the space to breathe creatively with other writers of SAARC countries.

Warm regards,

Manu Dash

JEAN ARASANAYAGAM: Sri Lanka

Ajeet, my darling friend, you of all people are closest to my heart and mind - I am reading all I have of you, what talent, what sensitivity ! You have suffered and prevailed. Changed my world and that of others. Magnificent. I think your idea is good - Nihal should be an excellent chairperson. I’ll get through to him. You are part of my being. Writing Delhi poems.

All my love to Arpana and self.

Jean Arasanayagam