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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 is on comparative
literature and criticism. |
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Shri D.
P. Chattopadhyaya, scholar and philosopher delivering an End-Century
lecture
under Antaral |
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. |
