Day 2: Valley Of Words
By Nikita Aggarwal & Areeba Zaidi (with inputs from the VoW Volunteer Team)
Dehradun, 17 Dec: Those of us who were at the Hotel Madhuban for Day 2 of the Valley of Words began the morning with ragas performed by the ITC SRA: Swarnendu Mondal on the sarod and Ashis Paul on the tabla wove magic for the audience.
Chief Guest Sharmila Bhartari was effusive in her praise as the day began with music that transcends words.
The Children’s Vertical Performance at the VoW Main Stage, chaired by Jyoti Dhawan, saw students of Dehradun’s leading schools performing creative reading interpretations of the books shortlisted for the Awards this year. A play around Jhupli’s Honey Box by Mount Fort Academy was followed by a lively discussion with the author-translator, VoW Awardee Achintyarup Ray, and students of HimJyoti School.
Bhaga Hua Ladka featured VoW Awardee Amrita Bera in conversation with Anjan Ray as the chair and Sachin Chauhan as the discussant on the nuances of Dalit literature, focusing particularly on the prolific brilliance of the text’s original author Manoranjan Byapari and the translator’s personal connect with him. The discourse expanded to encompass significant historical events such as the Partition of India and religious violence.
Profound tributes to Pradeep Singh were offered in “Sals of the Valley”. Manoj Barthwal fondly remembered their enduring friendship of 36-37 years, nurtured during family outings to Sahastradhara. Arun Pratap Singh appreciated Pradeep’s significant contributions to the Garhwal Post. Kulbhushan Kain celebrated Pradeep as one of the finest school-level cricket players in Dehradun.
A heartfelt memorial to SK Das, “The Man, The Legend”, featured touching insights by his wife, Vibha Puri Das, who shared touching insights that his fervour for reading and writing originated during his time at St Stephen’s. Dr BK Joshi reminisced about their joint initiation of the Doon Library, highlighting Das’s constant encouragement for the library’s growth. Col Duggal remembered his vibrant enthusiasm towards the Arts and Kalakendra. Together, these heartfelt reflections painted a rich and diverse portrait of the legacies of these Legends of Doon in the hearts of those who knew and admired them.
Shalini Rao led a workshop on the Navrasa, choreographing a dance to ‘Ae Giri Nandini’ with 45 women in the audience dancing together. The group dance at the end proved her introductory comment that Rasa is actually in the audience, and not merely in the author or artiste. The Iti Nritya showcase later enchanted the audience with Mohiniattam by Srijaini Ghosh (Mohiniattam), and a fire-based Kuchipudi set by Venu Ayachit.
The Journey of Hindi Language Journalism in India with VoW Awardee Mrinal Pande in conversation with Indu Pande and Sanjay Abhigyan saw the author sharing her insights with a full house, unfolding varied facets of Indian journalism with the first Hindi newspaper published to the ever-changing genres of journalism. Mrinal Pande commented on how Hindi, like the Himalayas, has become hollow without its local nuances; she also said that therefore Bollywood film music is useful in perpetuating Hindi as the language of the common people.
“Looking Beyond Chipko”, chaired by Chandi Prasad Bhatt, delved into climate change and environment with Rajendra Dobhal, Ruchi Badola and PS Negi about the mission to safeguard the Himalayas and its glaciers from hazardous elements like black carbon: “We must employ local solutions to solve global problems.” An exhibition showcasing diverse handicrafts and the work of local artisans highlighted the promotion of rural products and Uttarakhand’s rural culture. Various trusts and societies supporting women, the elderly, and organic initiatives participated.
The day saw multiple book launches, each adding a unique flavor to the literary offering. Ira Chauhan and Yogesh Kumar discussed with the author of Wanderings in the Land of Mist, Anmol Jain, the evolving landscape and deteriorating environmental beauty of the Queen of the Hills, Mussoorie. Ratna Manucha and Sandhya Awasthi had a broad-ranging conversation with Kulbhushan Kain about A Lifetime in Schools, in which he wryly remarked: “There is so much that happens even in a day, let alone a whole life — and my life has been a masala, so how much can you possibly include in a single book?” Sushil Kumar Awasthi chaired the launch of Call of the Jungle – Journey of an IFS Officer by Ruchi Singh, with Surabhi Sapra moderating the conversation about the hardships that families endure due to the demanding nature of an officer’s life. Ek Naya Ishvar by Tajender Luthra, moderated by Bharti Mishra with chair Anil Raturi, brought in the famous quote by Paul Valéry that: ‘A poem is never finished, only abandoned.’ Shravan Kumar and Aditi Bisht presented Mugdha Sinha’s Postcard Poems with an underlying desire for readers to engage with poetry on a multi-dimensional level. Shyam Saran and Dipankar Gupta moderated the launch of A Diplomats’ Garden by Aftab Seth, providing insight into the connections between personal experiences, cultural diversity, and the shaping of an individual’s worldview, offering a compelling exploration of the author’s unique perspective as reflected in his literary work.
The afternoon session commenced with the literary symphony “Kavita Tere Kitne Roop,” hosted by Someshwar Pandeya. Distinguished poets and authors, including Mugdha Sinha, Deepanjali Singh, Buddhinath Mishra, Neelesh Raghuvanshi, Tajender Luthra, Indu Pande, and Sachin Chauhan, shared their poetic insights. Their poems explored a diverse range of topics, encompassing history, culture, environment, and beyond, providing deep understanding of the various dimensions of life and society.
A parallel roundtable discourse was moderated by Dr Amna Mirza on the National Education Policy (NEP), chaired by N Ravi Shankar, who highlighted issues of flexibility and innovative thinking in his questions to the panelists. Surekha Dangwal from Doon University highlighted the balance between natural and social science and the contemporary significance of Indian knowledge systems. Rajendra Dobhal from SHRU mentioned that knowledge has been perceived as economic power. Sanjay Jasola from Graphic Era Hill University focused on how youth should become ‘job-givers’ instead of ‘job-seekers’ with a fourth Industrial Revolution. Ram Sharma from UPES discussed the policy’s focus on problem-solving, and Narpindra Singh from Graphic Era University spoke about the importance of passion in educational endeavours.
“The World of Translations”, chaired by Anjan Ray, featuring panelists Amrita Bera and Lalit Kumar, with a discussion led by Bijoya Sawian brought up the various aspects of ‘anuvaad’. Amrita Bera shared her journey into translation and Anjan Ray explored the practical aspects, discussing how translation can be a means of earning a livelihood. Lalit Kumar highlighted the pivotal role of translation in bridging communication gaps. “A Lifetime in Literature & Politics: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ saw this gentleman address various aspects like his unique approach to time management—revealing that he often writes in his car due to time constraints, with Dr Sushil Upadhyay.
The day concluded with a grand valediction, graced by former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, ACS Radha Raturi, DGP Abhinav Kumar, CMD of REC Vivek K Dewangan. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Anoop Nautiyal. This concluded the Valley of Words festival’s annual celebration of the Word — and beyond!
