Literary Festivals Are Essential to Educate the New Generation: Harivansh

Emphasising the importance of literature in shaping society and the younger generation, Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said that literary festivals play a crucial role in developing literary understanding among the youth. He was speaking during an interactive session at the Raipur Sahitya Utsav–2026, held at Purkhauti Muktangan.

The dialogue session, organised at the Aniruddh Neerav Mandap, featured an engaging conversation between Harivansh and Jayprakash Pandey, Editor of Sahitya Aaj Tak. The discussion focused on India’s development journey and the need to take literature closer to the younger generation.

Harivansh stated that contemporary literature has the strength to unite society by bridging ideological differences across regions, communities, and cultures. He praised the Raipur Sahitya Utsav, calling it an important initiative to connect society and instil an appreciation of literature among future generations.

Highlighting India’s rich literary and historical heritage, he said the country has produced great writers, historians, and invaluable literary works, which should be a source of pride. However, he expressed concern that a sense of inferiority has led people to be overly influenced by foreign cultures.

He asserted that Indian literature is so rich that the world can learn from it, and such inferiority can only be overcome when literary festivals like Raipur Sahitya Utsav are organised in every district and every state of the country. He also encouraged writers to focus on documenting India’s culture and the heritage of its villages.

Speaking on national development, Harivansh said India is now lighting the path for the world. Since 2014, the country has been continuously progressing on the development front. He added that true development is reflected in villages and in the lives of people at the grassroots level. Today, villages have permanent housing, and the digital revolution has made UPI payments a common practice across the nation.

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