120 writers from across India participate in 42 sessions; leaders underline role of literature in Amrit Kaal, democracy and cultural consciousness
TFP Bureau, Raipur, January 23, 2026: The Raipur Literature Festival 2026 was inaugurated with grandeur at the Purkhauti Muktangan complex in Nava Raipur on Thursday, marking a significant cultural milestone in the Silver Jubilee year of Chhattisgarh. The three-day festival, organised at the Vinod Kumar Shukla Pavilion, is witnessing participation from more than 120 renowned writers, thinkers and scholars from across the country, who will engage in 42 sessions covering literature, culture, democracy, history and contemporary social issues.
The inauguration ceremony was held under the chief patronage of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Shri Harivansh and chaired by Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Sao, Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, Dr. Kumud Sharma, and noted theatre artist and actor Shri Manoj Joshi were present as special guests. Several eminent personalities, including Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Shri Pankaj Jha, senior journalist Shri Anant Vijay and President of the Chhattisgarh Sahitya Akademi Shri Shashank Sharma, along with writers, academicians and literature enthusiasts, attended the event.
Literature as Foundation of Nation-Building: Leaders
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said that organising a literature festival during the Amrit Kaal of the Republic reflects India’s deep-rooted cultural consciousness. He described Chhattisgarh as the maternal home of Lord Rama and said it was a matter of pride to inaugurate such a significant literary event on this sacred land during the Silver Jubilee year of the State.
The Chief Minister emphasised that literature has always played a decisive role in nation-building. Drawing parallels between the freedom struggle and the churning of the ocean, he said that while freedom fighters endured immense suffering, they gifted future generations the nectar of independence. Many of these freedom fighters were writers, journalists and thinkers whose works inspired generations. He cited Makhanlal Chaturvedi’s poem Pushp Ki Abhilasha, written in Bilaspur jail, and Madhavrao Sapre’s Ek Tokri Bhar Mitti, considered the first Hindi short story, as timeless examples.
Shri Sai said preserving the legacy of writers such as Pandit Lochan Prasad Pandey, Padumlal Punnalal Bakshi and Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh was a cultural responsibility. He noted that the pavilions at the festival have been dedicated to literary stalwarts like Vinod Kumar Shukla, Shyam Lal Chaturvedi, Lala Jagdalpuri and Anirudh Nirav, who shaped Chhattisgarh’s literary identity. Stressing that poetry teaches resistance against injustice, he called literature a powerful force of social awakening.
Harivansh Highlights Transformative Power of Literature
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Shri Harivansh, in his keynote address, paid homage to the late Vinod Kumar Shukla and highlighted Chhattisgarh’s rich and ancient literary tradition. Referring to Kabir’s association with Kawardha, he said the State has long nurtured deep cultural and literary roots.
Shri Harivansh remarked that even a single book or author has the power to change the world. Quoting national poet Maithilisharan Gupt, he said literature awakens hope, dispels despair and gives society the courage to move forward. He also linked India’s rapid economic growth and its resolve for a developed nation by 2047 with cultural self-reliance, noting that literature has played a silent yet powerful role behind the country’s rising global stature.
Deputy CM Sees Festival as Platform for Chhattisgarh’s Literary Identity
Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Sao welcomed writers and thinkers from across the country, calling the festival a historic event in Chhattisgarh’s Silver Jubilee year. He said the land of Mata Shabari, Mata Kaushalya and Chhattisgarh Mahtari has always nurtured great literary minds, and the Raipur Literature Festival would take the State’s literary identity to the national stage.
He expressed confidence that the festival would connect future generations with their cultural roots and strengthen the State’s position as an important centre of literary and cultural dialogue.
Books Released, Cultural Vision Showcased
On the occasion, several publications were released, including a booklet marking 25 years of Chhattisgarh’s formation, a coffee table book on writers of Chhattisgarh, National Selfhood in Science by J. Nandakumar, Lal Deewarein, Safed Jhooth by Prof. Anshu Joshi, and Tera Raj Nahi Aayega Re by Rajiv Ranjan Prasad.
Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Sahitya Akademi, Shri Shashank Sharma, in his welcome address, said the festival was the result of months of dedicated effort and a clear cultural vision aligned with the Chief Minister’s intent to commemorate 25 years of statehood through literature.
Amrit Kaal and Cultural Self-Awareness
Dr. Kumud Sharma spoke on “Republic in Amrit Kaal,” stating that the five pledges of Amrit Kaal connect India with self-reliance, indigenous consciousness and historical awareness. She said Indian languages and literature have always carried the values of harmony and humanity, and writers bear the responsibility of passing this cultural awareness to the next generation.
Oral Tradition Session Adds Depth to Festival
As part of the festival’s thematic sessions, an engaging discussion on “Literature in the Oral Tradition” was held at the Lala Jagdalpuri Pavilion. Eminent literary figures Shri Rudranarayan Panigrahi, Shri Shiv Kumar Pandey, Dr. Jaymati and Shri Sudhir Pathak shared insights, with Dr. Mahendra Mishra presiding. Speakers stressed that oral tradition is not merely a relic of the past but a vital key to understanding contemporary literature and society, underscoring the need for its preservation and transmission.
With vibrant participation from youth, scholars and literature lovers, the Raipur Literature Festival 2026 has emerged as a major platform for dialogue, reflection and celebration of India’s literary and cultural heritage in the Amrit Kaal of the Republic.
