Pokhara– The seventh edition of the IME Nepal Literature Festival 2018 concluded today. The fourth and final day of the festival on Tuesday included discussions on various issues ranging from women’s safety to contemporary politics. Funded by IME and organised by the Bookworm Foundation in collaboration with the Random Readers Society at Tal Barahi Chowk in Pokhara, the festival saw people from various walks of life participating and listening to their favourite writers.
The first session titled ‘Women’s safety and security in the time of Nirmala’ had Manisha Koirala, Ani Choying and acid attack survivors Sangita Magar and Sima Basnet in conversation with journalist Yangesh. The panelists discussed the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta of Kanchanpur as well as the growing instances of violence against women. Koirala said that the lack of implementation of laws has and discrimination between genders has led to the violence against women.
Ani Choying emphasized effective implementation of laws that deal with violence against women. Magar said that her attacker continues to threaten her from inside the jail and that he feels no remorse. She also lamented that she has not been able to find money for surgery. Basnet said that whereas she wanted to be a singer earlier, she has now decided to engage in politics to raise awareness and about and eradicate violence against women.
In the second session, Kedar Sharma was in conversation with Kunta Sharma, Ashok Tharu, Hanif Miya on ‘Sanghiyata ma anchalik swar’. The panelists talked about the need to diversify literature so that it reaches in all the various regions of the country. In a parallel session, Khagendra Sangraula gave a lecture titled ‘Why I am not a nationalist’ and Archana Thapa spoke on ‘Why you aren’t a feminist’.
The third session titled ‘Abako netritwa: kasko, kasto?’ had Gunaraj Luintel in conversation with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Gagan Thapa and Rabindra Mishra. The leaders spoke about the merits and demerits of current leadership. They also spoke about the need for political leadership to shed off their selfish character and think for the development of the nation.
In the fourth session, titled ‘Ganatantra pachhiko Nepali samaj’, Radheshyam Adhikari, Suresh Dhakal and Durga Sob were in conversation with Kiran Nepal. The panelists spoke about the path Nepal has taken after the establishment of federal republicanism in Nepal. In a parallel session titled ‘The wayward daughter: a Kathmandu story’, Muna Gurung spoke with writer Shraddha Ghale.
The fifth session tited ‘Sahityama censorship’ had Yug Pathak, Saraswati Pratiksha, Maheshvikram Shah were in conversation with Nayanraj Pandey. In a parallel session, Raamesh Koirala’s book titled ‘Charles Shovraj: Inside the Heart of the Bikini Killer’ was launched, followed by a discussion between the writer and another writer, Brazesh.
The sixth session, titled ‘Dantyakatha’, had Pradip Giri speaking on myths and fables. The final session had 11 writers presenting their poems to the audience’s rapt attention and applause. This concludes the seventh edition of the IME Nepal Literature Festival. The festival committee thanks all the participating authors, audience members, chief sponsor, associate sponsors and the media for their help towards making the festival a success.
Pictures: Bookworm Foundation
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