Literary Activities-Loka-The Many Voices

page up   Sahitya Akademi is aware of cultural and linguistic difference and does not believe in a forced standardisation of culture through a bulldozing of levels and attitudes. At the same time, it is also conscious of the deep inner cultural, spiritual, historical and experiential links that unify India's diverse manifestations of literature.
  Inspite of the pan-Indian character of our literature, writers and readers in one language know very little of what is being written in the neighbouring linguistic area. It is, therefore, necessary to devise methods by which Indian writers may come to know each other, cross the barriers of language and script, and appreciate the immense variety and complexity of their country's literary heritage.
  Sahitya Akademi's programmes are so designed as to heighten literary awareness among the common readers, to provide a platform of dialogue for writers of various languages, to create opportunities for academics to discuss issues of literature and aesthetics, to encourage critics to reassess their canons, methodologies and tools of analysis and re-evaluate classical, medieval and modern authors' texts and trends and to bring the readers face to face with established as well as upcoming authors. Sahitya Akademi holds, on an average, one hundred and fifty literary programmes and activities of various types and scales. Annual seminars in each of the 22 recognised languages are held following the suggestions from the 22 language advisory boards - consisting of ten significant writers / scholars / critics from each - whose constitution changes every five years. These boards also suggest National Seminars on certain important themes or on writers and texts whose centenaries, bicentenaries etc. are being celebrated in a particular year. There are also regional Seminars suggested by the four Regional Advisory Panels where the accent

> A programme for folklore consisting of lectures and demonstrations.
> Started in 1996.
> 4 such programmes have been held so far.
> Dr. G.N. Devy, Smt. Mahasveta Devi and Dr. Jawaharlal Handoo and Narayan Bharati have delivered lectures in this programme.

Smt Mahasweta Devi, eminent Bengali fiction writer and activist during the course of his lecture

is on comparative literature and criticism.
  International Seminars involving scholars from abroad are also held at regular intervals as those held in recent years on 'Narratives', on 'Indology at Crossroads', on 'The Ramayana Tradition' and on 'Mirza Ghalib's Worlds'. Symposia on topics and authors of contemporary relevance and workshops on genres and for inter-language translations are also held from time to time. There has recently been a special emphasis on tribal and folk literatures and the new literatures of the marginalised sections meant to make our programmes more democratic and to share popular concerns. We are also trying to carry our programmes and activities to the interior parts of the country. Besides Seminars, Symposia and Workshops, the Akademi's programmes include Meet the Author, Samvad, Kavisandhi, Kathasandhi, Men and books, Through my Window, Mulakat, Asmita, Antaral, Avishkar, Loka: The Many Voices , Seminars, Samvatsar Lectures, Workshops on, Literary Translations, Travel Grants to Authors, Cultural Exchange Programmes, etc.

WRITERS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN LOKA: THE MANY VOICES PROGRAMME SINCE OCTOBER 1999page up

Date Occasion Venue

To be decided Sri Mangai, Tamil writer to participate. To be decided

20 November 2005 A Loka programme to be held. Tejgarh (Gujarat)

27 January 2005 A Programme was held wherein nine persons presented various Programmes of oral tradition in the area in Sindhi and Kutchi Bhuj

18 October 2004 Sri Mohan Singh spoke on K.S. Madhukar, eminent Dogri poet. Jammu

5 June 2003 A programme was held where Sri Saikat Rakshit, well-known Bengali fiction writer, delivered a lecture on Chho, dance of Purulia. Guwahati

26 May 2003 Professor H. Behari Singh delivered a lecture on the subject Legend and Literature in a programme held in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy. The lecture was followed by live interaction from the audience, which consisted of well-known folk exponents of Manipur. Dr. A. Kumar Sharma, member of Manipuri Advisory Board, Sahitya Akademi, proposed a vote of thanks. Imphal

25 November 2002 Sri L. Joychandra Singh spoke on Manipuri Martial Dance with live demonstration in a programme held in collaboration with Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad. Kolkata

16 July 2002 A programme was held where Sri Tarapada Santara spoke on Folk life and culture. Karimganj

15 February 2002 Ms. Vindhyavasini Devi rendered and demonstrated various styles of folk singing in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi languages. Allahabad

30 December 2001 A programme on Folk culture of Manbhun was held with Sanat Kumar Mitra. Purlia

28 December 2001 Sri Sanat Kumar Mitra participated in a programme. Kolkata

6 December 2001 Sri Robin Roychoudhury, eminent Bengali writer, spoke on Tribal Life and Culture of Andaman and Nikobar Islands. Imphal

6 November 2001 Sri Yakshagana Kumble Sundara Rao, Professor Prabhakar Joshi and Siddakatte brothers participated. Mangalore

10 February 2001 Prof. Meerasabihalli Shivanna and Sri Mogalli Ganesh, both eminent Kannada folklore scholars, delivered lectures and Sri Kyatanna and Sri Mudduveeranna, folklore artists, rendered Kannada folklore songs and music. Challakere,
(Karnataka)

24 November 2000 A lecture by Dr. Madhukar Wakode, eminent folklorist, short story writer and interpreter, on Imagery, Symbols and Myths in collaboration with Department of Marathi, University of Mumbai Mumbai

22 October 2000 Sri Shyam Verenkar delivered a lecture on Konkani Folklore : Need for Protection and Preservation followed by a live presentation of folk songs in Konkani by local artists, in collaboration with Konkani Sanskritik Mandal Mumbai

18 October 2000 Sri L. Birendrakumar Singh, a well-known authority on ethno-music and author of some commendable works on the Manipuri folk literature, delivered a lecture on Tradition and Modernity in Manipuri Folk Literature, in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy Imphal

  2 January 2000 Smt. Sukhree Bommegowda presented
Helakki folk song renderings. Sri Shreepada Shetty, a folklorist, introduced the artist Bangalore

25 November 1999 Pakhan, a traditional Dogri folk traditional form presented by eminent Pakhan Singer Sri Raj Kumar and his party. Smt. Krishna Kumari and Sri Pradyumna Singh presented modern Dogri folk songs. Smt. Padma Sachdeva, eminent Dogri and Hindi poet introduced the artists and conducted the programme New Delhi

29 October 1999 Sri Sudhir Chekraborti (eminent Bengali folklorist) spoke on the folkways of Life in Bengal Calcutta

  23 October 1999 Smt. Tara Bhawalkar, (eminent folklorist from Maharashtra) presented a brief outline on current Trends in Folklore Studies followed by presentation of folk songs by local artists in collaboration with Konkani Bhasha Mandal Margao

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WRITERS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN LOKA: THE MANY VOICES PROGRAMME SINCE OCTOBER 1999page up
Date	Occasion	Venue
To be decided	Sri Mangai, Tamil writer to participate.	To be decided
20 November 2005	A Loka programme to be held.	Tejgarh (Gujarat)
27 January 2005	A Programme was held wherein nine persons presented various Programmes of oral tradition in the area in Sindhi and Kutchi	Bhuj
18 October 2004	Sri Mohan Singh spoke on K.S. Madhukar, eminent Dogri poet.	Jammu
5 June 2003	A programme was held where Sri Saikat Rakshit, well-known Bengali fiction writer, delivered a lecture on Chho, dance of Purulia.	Guwahati
26 May 2003	Professor H. Behari Singh delivered a lecture on the subject Legend and Literature in a programme held in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy. The lecture was followed by live interaction from the audience, which consisted of well-known folk exponents of Manipur. Dr. A. Kumar Sharma, member of Manipuri Advisory Board, Sahitya Akademi, proposed a vote of thanks.	Imphal
25 November 2002	Sri L. Joychandra Singh spoke on Manipuri Martial Dance with live demonstration in a programme held in collaboration with Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad.	Kolkata
16 July 2002	A programme was held where Sri Tarapada Santara spoke on Folk life and culture.	Karimganj
15 February 2002	Ms. Vindhyavasini Devi rendered and demonstrated various styles of folk singing in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi languages.	Allahabad
30 December 2001	A programme on Folk culture of Manbhun was held with Sanat Kumar Mitra.	Purlia
28 December 2001	Sri Sanat Kumar Mitra participated in a programme.	Kolkata
6 December 2001	Sri Robin Roychoudhury, eminent Bengali writer, spoke on Tribal Life and Culture of Andaman and Nikobar Islands.	Imphal
6 November 2001	Sri Yakshagana Kumble Sundara Rao, Professor Prabhakar Joshi and Siddakatte brothers participated.	Mangalore
10 February 2001	Prof. Meerasabihalli Shivanna and Sri Mogalli Ganesh, both eminent Kannada folklore scholars, delivered lectures and Sri Kyatanna and Sri Mudduveeranna, folklore artists, rendered Kannada folklore songs and music.	Challakere, (Karnataka)
24 November 2000	A lecture by Dr. Madhukar Wakode, eminent folklorist, short story writer and interpreter, on Imagery, Symbols and Myths in collaboration with Department of Marathi, University of Mumbai	Mumbai
22 October 2000	Sri Shyam Verenkar delivered a lecture on Konkani Folklore : Need for Protection and Preservation followed by a live presentation of folk songs in Konkani by local artists, in collaboration with Konkani Sanskritik Mandal	Mumbai
18 October 2000	Sri L. Birendrakumar Singh, a well-known authority on ethno-music and author of some commendable works on the Manipuri folk literature, delivered a lecture on Tradition and Modernity in Manipuri Folk Literature, in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy	Imphal
2 January 2000	Smt. Sukhree Bommegowda presented Helakki folk song renderings. Sri Shreepada Shetty, a folklorist, introduced the artist	Bangalore
25 November 1999	Pakhan, a traditional Dogri folk traditional form presented by eminent Pakhan Singer Sri Raj Kumar and his party. Smt. Krishna Kumari and Sri Pradyumna Singh presented modern Dogri folk songs. Smt. Padma Sachdeva, eminent Dogri and Hindi poet introduced the artists and conducted the programme	New Delhi
29 October 1999	Sri Sudhir Chekraborti (eminent Bengali folklorist) spoke on the folkways of Life in Bengal	Calcutta
23 October 1999	Smt. Tara Bhawalkar, (eminent folklorist from Maharashtra) presented a brief outline on current Trends in Folklore Studies followed by presentation of folk songs by local artists in collaboration with Konkani Bhasha Mandal	Margao