Nalanda Literature Festival – a prominent platform to showcase Northeast’s literary traditions
Guwahati, Dec. 27 (IANS) – The inaugural Nalanda Literature Festival (NLF), which ran for four days until Wednesday, has already carved out a reputation as a vital stage for writers from the Northeast and other marginalized literary traditions, officials said Saturday.
The festival’s program was steeped in issues that strike at the heart of the Northeast: preserving regional languages, navigating diaspora identities, safeguarding indigenous knowledge systems, and ensuring cultural continuity. Scholars and authors mapped out how the oral richness and linguistic variety of the Northeast mirror the challenges faced by Indian diaspora communities in keeping their language and cultural memory alive.
A participant reflected on the event, saying: “It was a great experience as several writers and authors took part from Assam and other northeastern states in the Nalanda Literature Festival. The organisers paid great attention to the rich cultural heritage of our region.”
The last day ended with a tribute to the late Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award winner Vinod Kumar Shukla, who died on Dec. 23 at 88. Speakers recalled him as a transformative figure whose minimalist prose reshaped modern Hindi literature and inspired writers across India, including those from the Northeast.
One session, “Interactive Session: Heritage,” drew close parallels between cultural preservation efforts in the Indian diaspora and those in India’s periphery. Renowned scholar Dr Sachchidanand Joshi and Mauritius‑based academic Dr Sarita Boodhoo highlighted how language underpins identity—a theme that resonated with researchers working on endangered Northeast languages.
Another key meeting, “Nalanda: A Window to the World,” underscored Nalanda’s historic legacy as a global knowledge hub rooted in dialogue and openness—values that speakers argued remain essential for culturally diverse regions such as the Northeast, long seen as crossroads of ideas, faiths, and traditions.
The panel “Beyond the Binary: Transgender Characters in Today’s Literature” sparked a robust discussion on representation and inclusion. Speakers urged governments to recognize transgender and LGBTQ+ writers, noting that authors from the Northeast encounter similar struggles for visibility.
Cultural segments celebrating regional food, poetry, and folk traditions echoed the lived realities of India’s peripheral areas. Conversations about indigenous cuisines, oral storytelling, and local arts reinforced the urgency of documenting and safeguarding these cultures—an imperative often emphasized in Northeast circles.
Festival Director Ganga Kumar said the first edition succeeded in reviving Nalanda’s spirit as a meeting ground for ideas and cultures. “With its inclusive approach and focus on regional voices, the 2025 Nalanda Literature Festival positioned itself as a key platform that aligns with the cultural aspirations of the Northeast and other under‑represented areas of India,” he added.
The festival closed with a felicitation ceremony honoring speakers, artists and contributors, marking the start of what organizers hope will become a sustained national dialogue rooted in diversity, heritage and shared intellectual traditions.
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