Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 (Bureau) Literature through a range of situations and emotions teaches us empathy, resilience, and morality, former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Saturday Addressing the 12th edition of the Odisha literary festival, organized by the New Indian Express, Patnaik said literature creates a positive environment and strengthens our relations with society. He thanked Prabhu Chawla for his tireless effort in making the Odisha literary festival a popular event in Bhubaneswar engaging people from all walks of life. It has become a tradition in all these years, the BJD President and leader of Opposition said.
Patnaik said though the theme of this year’s festival centers around on diversity, he has been asked to speak on, The Garden of life, lessons from literature. The BJD supremo said diversity is the soul of Indian society and literature which transcends all barriers, spreading the message loudly. Patnaik further said his book Garden of Life published several decades back, is about the alleviation of human suffering through sacred and medicinal plants. Within the realms of society and state our lives are determined by many factors and literature is an important influence,Patnaik said. He said classics must be an essential part of children’s growing up adding that Odia literature has a great tradition. Patnaik appealed to the younger generations to get themselves acquainted with the writings of Fakirmohan Senapati and Gangadhar Meher.
“We must imbibe the habit of reading these historical literary works for holistic development”, he remarked. In these times of social media, inculcating reading habits is perhaps more important than ever before in history, Patnaik said. He said the purpose of education and literature is to build an ability to question. It is through careful examination of works of world literature, that life lessons can be drawn, he added. For people in public life, literature is a lighthouse showing the way for actions and ethics, the former Odisha Chief Minister said and congratulated the winners of Devi Award for their outstanding performance in their respective fields.