Literature empowers humanity, makes society better: President at Sahitya Aaj Tak

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday attended the sixth edition of Sahitya Aaj Tak and praised the litterateurs for their contribution to literature and art. She said that literature empowers humanity and makes society better.
Speaking at the event held in Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, President Murmu said the world’s greatest literature does not recognise the boundaries of illiteracy.
“In every house and village of Odisha, literate and illiterate people keep quoting lines from the Bhagavad Gita. Less educated farmers and labourers understand the deep meaning of Sant Kabir’s couplets and use them as idioms in their conversations. The greatest literature is understood by everyone. This is what scholars call the communicability of literature,” he said.
She said people should be introduced to the heart-touching creations of Santhali poets Dr Ramdas Tudu and Sadhu Ramchandra Murmu and the literature of other deprived classes.
“You should bring the hidden gems of literature to the fore. The work of literary service which literary magazines can do with great difficulty, you can do it on a very large scale through technology. By doing this, you will do a great service to Indian society and literature,” she said.
She said enriching children’s literature through original writers and translations will aid the progress of society.
The President said literature adapts the eternal values of humanity to the changing circumstances and gives new life to society. “The thoughts of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, were influenced by many poets and some literary works, including a novel named Saraswati Chandra. Such influence of literature must be respected,” she added.
In the local literature written in various languages in our country, the pan-Indian consciousness is easily present, President Murmu said, adding that this creation is visible in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, our freedom struggle and even in today’s literature.
Heaping praise on iconic poet and lyricist Gulzar, she mentioned his 1979 film, Meera, saying he handed over an artistic legacy to the film industry and literature through this movie.
“I specially congratulate Gulzar saab for Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Lifetime Achievement Award. He has always been dedicated to the world of literature and art. I would like to say something today by mentioning one of his films, Meera. Sixteenth-century Meerabai composed immortal poems of devotional literature,” she said.
“Along with this, Meerabai rejected the beliefs that kept women in bondage in the society of medieval India. Meerabai is a symbol of victory of faith and literature amidst social tension. Gulzar saab handed over an artistic legacy to our cinema society and literature in the form of the film Meera, made about 45 years ago. I appreciate you for such creations. I believe that sensitive men who understand women’s perspective make our society better,” she further said.
The President underlined that society also rejects those writers who consider them as raw material.
“The work of such writers remains limited to a small literary establishment i.e. literary systems. Where there is intellectual pomp and prejudice, there is no literature,” she said.
“I believe that the first condition of literature is to share the sorrows and pain of the people. In other words, joining the flow of humanity is the criterion of literature. Literature is that which empowers humanity and makes society better,” she said.
President Murmu said she would host litterateurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and praised them for their work. She made the remarks after Gulzar urged her to increase her interaction with litterateurs, saying they got very little opportunity to express their views to the government.
“I get many requests from litterateurs to meet me. As Gulzar saab said, I am keen to host a conference for litterateurs. It is my duty to invite you as your works have been priceless.”
She said Rashtrapati Bhavan is not just the house of the President, but of the countrymen who are part of the nation-building process.
President Murmu presented the prestigious Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Samman awards, recognising the contributions of established luminaries and emerging talents in the literary world.
The festival’s crowning moment came with the conferral of the Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Lifetime Achievement Award on Gulzar for his unparalleled contributions to Indian literature and cinema.
As the recipient of the prestigious AajTak Sahitya Jagriti Lifetime Achievement Award, Gulzar will be honoured with a prize of Rs 11 lakh, a commemorative plaque, and a citation.
Other winners, chosen meticulously by an eminent jury, will be awarded cash prizes between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000, accompanied by commemorative plaques and citations, celebrating their contributions to the literary landscape.