ODISHA LIT FEST OFF TO A BLAZING START

Tributes pour in for poet Jayanta Mahapatra at lit fest

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THE 11th edition of the Odisha Literary Festival got off to a blazing start as acclaimed authors from across genres and different parts of the country came together to celebrate the written word here on Saturday.

The two-day annual literary festival — the only-of-its-kind in Eastern India hosted by The New Indian Express — was inaugurated by Union Minister for Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan. Speaking at the inaugural evening, Pradhan in his session ‘Words, Ideas and Lessons: Creating a New Sense of Identity’ said the opposition to the three-language policy especially in Tamil Nadu is purely political. “While the opposition to NEP in Tamil Nadu is for political reasons, in my view, there is unanimity at the ground level that there should be scientific temper for the students and language should not be a barrier,” he said in a free-wheeling chat with TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla.

Refuting allegations that people with RSS ideology are being drafted into head top institutions in the country, the Union minister said all appointments are made on merit. He, however, maintained that there is no bar in the Constitution on appointing persons with RSS affiliation.

Introducing the festival, TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya said it stands for everything