ELEVENTH CONFERENCE—INDIA, 2004
The Eleventh SAARC Writers Conference, focusing on the theme: Towards Civilisational and Cultural Synthesis within South Asia by Recognising and Respecting the Otherness of Others, was held on 7, 8, 9 October 2004 at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
The Conference brought together eminent writers, poets and intellectuals from all the countries of South Asia includingBangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and for the first time delegates from Sudan and Thailand as well, besides Afghanistan which has been participating since 2001. Discussions and readings were based on the following themes:
• Sharing Civilizational Heritage : Cultural Connectivity in the SAARC Region.
• Role of Literature in Unlearning Hatred.
Ajeet Cour with Dr.Abid Hussain, H.E. Mr. K.R.Narayanan and Dr. Karan singh
• Plurality and Survival—Understanding the Otherness of Others
• The Voice of Literature in the Strife-Torn World, and Role of Intellectuals in Forging Friendship for Peace.
Hon’ble Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister for Culture, inaugurating the Eleventh SAARC Writers Conference. Mr. Kamal Bakshi, eminent diplomat and Vice President of the Foundation, and eminent painter Ms. Arpana Caur, the Secretary General of the Foundation, holding white flowers for the Hon’ble Minister while Satbir holds the bowel of flower petals
Inaugral Function: Eleventh SAARC Writers Conference. Ajeet Cour, Ho’ble Mr.V.P. Singh, H.E. Mr. Shyam Saran, Prof. Anisuzzaman, Prof. Pem Namgayl, Prof. U.R. Ananthamurthy, Mr. Tulasi Diwasa, Mr. Ali Shareef
A view of the eminent participants at the 11th SAARC Writers Conference:Mr. B.P. Singh, former Ambassador of India at the World Bank, Prof. Namwar Singh, eminent Hindi Scholar, H.E. Mr. Aziz Ahmad Khan, Pakistan Ambassador in India, H.E. Mr. Jon Westborg, Ambassador of Norway, H.E. Mr. Abdal Mahmood Abdal Haleem Mohammed, Ambassador of Sudan, and Mr. Lalit Mansingh, former Foreign
Among the luminaries who participated in the Conference, the following need special mention :
H.E. Mr. K.R. Narayanan, former President of India.
Mr. V.P. Singh, former Prime Minister
Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Culture
Mr. Shyam Saran, Foreign Secretary, Government of India
Dr. Abid Hussain, eminent diplomat and intellectual
Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia University
Ms. Neena Ranjan, Secretary, Dept. of Culture, Government of India
H.E. Mr. Jon Westborg, Ambassador of Norway
H.E. Mr. Abdal Mahmood Abdal Haleem Mohammed, Ambassador
of Sudan
H.E. Mr. Aziz Ahmed Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan
H.E. Mr. Masood Khalili, Ambassador of Afghanistan
Prof. Mohsin Tawfik, Regional Director UNESCO.
Mr. Lalit Mansingh, former foreign secretary of India
Mr. Kamal Bakshi, eminent diplomat and Vice President of the Foundation.
The Conference brought together about 20 eminent writers and poets from Pakistan, besides a sizeable number from the other SAARC countries, as well as Prof. Songchit Pullarp from Thailand, and Dr. Masood Khalili, Ambassador ofAfganistan.
Eminent delegates from Pakistan included Mr. Intizar Hussain,
Mr. Munno Bhai, Mr. Mustansar Tarar, Mr. Asghar Nadeem Syed,
Mr. Javed Shaheen, Dr. Enwar Sajjad Ali, Dr. Asif Farrukhi, Ms. Zahida Hina, Ms. Neelofar Iqbal, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, M. Mansha Yaad, Dr. Anwar Ahmed, Zubair Ahmad, Zoya Sajid. From Nepal Prof. Padma Devkota, Mr. Dambar Bir Thapa, Mr. Tulasi Diwasa, Ms. Toya Gurung, Prof. Narmadeswar Pradhan. From Thailand Mr. Songchit Pullarp. From India Ms. Mahasveta Devi, Prof. U.R. Ananthamurthy, Prof. Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Mr. M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Prof. Swapan Chakravarty, Prof. Ganeshwar Mishra, Prof. Namwar Singh, Mr. Joginder Paul, Dr. Ashok Vajpeyi, Dr. Kailash Vajpeyi, Mr. Pankaj Singh, Dr. Anamika, Mr. J.P. Das, Ms. Rita Malhotra,
Ms. Laxmi Kannan, Mr. Iqbal Deep, Mr. Obaid Siddiqui, Mr. Keshav Malik, Ms. Varsha Das, Ms. Sujata Chaudhry, Prof. Indira Goswami,
Mr. Jaswant Deed, Mr. Sidhu Damdami, Mr. K.B. Vaid, Mr. Darshan Buttar, Mr. Ganesh N. Devy, . From Bhutan
Ms. Karma Choden. From Maldives Mr. Ali Shareef. From Bangladesh Prof. Kaisar Haq, Prof. Manzurul Islam, Ms. Selina Hossain,
Ms. Tasmima Hossain, Mr. Syed Shamsul Haq, Prof. Anisuzzaman. From Sri Lanka Prof. Kapila Gunasekara, Dr. M.A.M. Nuhman,
Prof. Gunadasa Amarasekara, Prof. Arjuna Parakrama.
In the presence of more than 250 delegates from all the 7SAARC countries, writers shared their poewms, stories, ideas
On the dais : Hon’ble Dr. Jaipal Reddy, Mr. V.P. Singh and H.E. Mr. Shyam Saran
H.E. Mr. K.R. Narayanan releasing two publications of FOSWAL: ‘Our Voices’, the anthology of poetry from SAARC countries, and Ms. Suryakanthi Tripathi’s work ‘Crying for Kurukshetra’
