By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 9 Nov: The final day of a local literature festival began with the prestigious Shivani – Iron Lady of the Hills Awards ceremony, where Professor and Author Manjula Rana from Garhwal Central University was honored. In a session titled ‘Streevaad aur Samaaj’, Rana, alongside Author Jayanti Ranganathan, Aditi Maheshwari Goyal, and Author Naveen Chaudhary, explored gender, society, and empowerment in a discussion moderated by Journalist Rakhee Bakshee.
Reflecting on women’s resilience and strength, Rana said, “Women are power. They are always ready to give their all for the upcoming generation. As Shivani ji widely promoted, women empowerment is essential for our collective progress.”
The event continued with an address from DGP Uttarakhand, IPS Abhinav Kumar, on education’s role in societal growth.
Attendees then turned to a session on modern educational strategies, with Col Gopal Karunakaran, Jayshree Periwal, and Dr Sanjay Kumar engaging in a discussion with HS Mann. During the session, Col Gopal Karunakaran said, “Questions are more important than answers. Now we are going with non-Googleable questions. There is a radical shift in how we are looking at schools.”
Among the day’s standout events was Sons of Babur, featuring politician and author Salman Khurshid, who delved into the history and legacy of the Mughal Empire. “You can’t take out a name, a person, or an identity; this is India. No matter where you come from, they have merged into Indian identity. I think people who believe in segregation do not understand India. History should be critically analyzed, as it has long been influenced by the Western community. What we read about history must be tested against how we feel about ourselves,” said Salman Khurshid.
An engaging discussion on adapting Laila Majnu for the screen followed, with director Sajid Ali, writer Preeti Ali, and actor Avinash Tiwary offering insights into the creative journey of this timeless love story.
