Time to decolonise our minds, make our own literary achievements: Puri

Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 (PTI) Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has given people time to reconnect with themselves, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said that it is time to "decolonise our minds" and make our own literary achievements.

The Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister was virtually addressing the eighth Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) on the concluding day.

"As the pandemic has offered us all a chance to reconnect with ourselves, it is time for us Indians to decolonise our minds and make our own literary achievements," Puri said.

He praised the organisers for making the three-day event a roaring success where discussions were held on India's world-class literary culture and ways to preserve the rich legacy.

KLF founding director Rashmi Ranjan Parida said that an edition of the festival will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal from next year.

Speaking at a discussion on the future of print media and radio, Satish Padmanabhan, Managing Editor of Outlook magazine, said, "These days, a lot of unfiltered content is published on social media and other digital media outlets; this is a double-edged sword. While it is necessary to promote freedom of expression, but at the same time there is no scope to verify the content, which is still a hallmark of traditional media." He said both types of media feed off each other and have to coexist.

Former Indian ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, said that India needs to act upon two areas to become 'atmanirbhar' (self-sufficient) – identifying and promoting areas where India has a competitive advantage and investing in future technology such as 3D printing.

Speaking at a discussion on corporate funding in sports, Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat said, "Corporate investment should not be based on returns alone, since it requires nearly a decade of effort to produce an Olympian. They should have a long-term vision while planning an investment in this area." A total of 30 books were launched at the festival, including 10 on the last day. Noted among those was ‘Second Innings’ edited by sports journalist Ayaz Memon. PTI AAM ACD ACD