The Sahitya Akademi, under the Government of India, continues its mission to enhance the literary environment in rural India through its ‘Gramalok’ initiative. This programme fosters interaction between budding writers and eminent litterateurs from various regions. As part of this project, an event was held in a rural area near Siliguri on Saturday, organised by the Akademi in collaboration with ‘Banglar Mukh,’ a literary journal, and Ghoshpukur College.

The Principal of Ghoshpukur College, Uma Maji Mukhopadhyay, who also serves as the editor of ‘Banglar Mukh,’ played host and brought the event to life with great success. The event commenced with an address by Avisekh Rath, the programme officer of Sahitya Akademi, who outlined the objectives of ‘Gramalok’ through an online presentation. Pralay Chakraborty, a media personality, inaugurated the programme by lig – hting a ceremonial lamp. In his speech, Mr. Chakraborty expressed his gratitude to the Sahitya Akademi and the College’s Principal, Ms Maji Mukhopadhyay, for initiating such an event in this rural setting.

The venue, a rural college with ample space, modern infrastructure, and eager students, was praised as an ideal location for such an initiative. Poets like Koushik Joardar, Sebanti Ghosh, and writer Shubhamoy Sarkar added depth to the programme by discussing the importance of such efforts and reciting from their works. Urbi Mukhopadhyay and Smritikana Mukhopadhyay explored the role of rural journals and other relevant issues, while other poets and speakers, including Shyamali Sengupta, Shaswati Chanda, Malay Karanjai, Sagar Bhattacharya, Premananda Ray, Kajal Ghosh, and local administrative officer Biplab Biswas, contributed to the rich discussions.

Throughout the event, the unique cultural and ethnolinguistic diversity of the region was beautifully highlighted, underscoring the Sahitya Akademi’s thoughtful choice of venue. The programme concluded with a captivating group recitation titled ‘Yeats and Tagore’ by ‘Shilpakarmi,’ a cultural team from Siliguri. Their performance offered a valuable lesson to students and guests alike, resonating with the event’s theme. Debasish Bhattacharya conducted the entire programme, ensuring active participation from the audience, who remained engaged until the end. The presence and guidance of Mr. Rath were evident throughout the event, as he assured the audience of more such programmes in the near future.