As the nation commemorates the 75th year of independence, the Khushwant Singh Litfest in Kasauli bounces back in the post-pandemic times with a vision to reflect on “Can our ancient, unchanging land be the catalyst for this year’s Climate of Change?”
The three-day litfest planned to be held at the iconic Kasauli Club from October 14 to Oct 16 will dive deep into the subject. It is going to be a Green KSLF this time, with minimal waste generation and carbon footprint.
As we know the ecosystem of wildlife, flora, and fauna, is being mercilessly torn down all around us. In Kasauli, for instance, forest fires are displacing the leopards who are compelled to come into town, looking for pets and strays for food. From Bengaluru to Varanasi, from Pakistan to Europe, there are flash floods.
Researchers have found that eight Asian countries – India, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan – housed more than 70 per cent of the total number of people currently living on affected lands worldwide. The Maldives is buying land for relocation to Australia, and we will never forget Tuvalu’s foreign minister, giving a speech, knee-deep in the Pacific Ocean.
Do we have a vision of where we want to be in 100 years? And what transformation can get us there? Can we take stock of where we are today and how we have changed over these years? Have we used our freedom wisely? Or have we frittered away the enormous opportunities we have in natural wealth, human resources, creativity, scientific mindsets, and other soft power?
As the world suffers, even our keynote speaker, Amitav Ghosh, does not expect Mumbai to survive for another 30 years, not beyond 2050!
The three-day Litfest will feature a distinguished panel of speakers including Booker winner Geetanjali Shree, Rajmohan Gandhi, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Tusshar Kapoor, Raj Mohan Gandhi, Sathya Saran, Mahua Moitra, Pavan Varma, Usha Uthup, Muzaffar Ali and Mallika Sarabhai.
Who among these will transport us through the changing dynamics of a complex country?
For KSLF, Khushwant Singh (KS) was eclectic with many passions. Besides ecology, women’s empowerment and education of the girl child were among his key concerns. So, KSLF strives to celebrate and brainstorm all these concerns during the Litfest.
Entry to the festival is free for all. You can register at Khushwant Singh Literary Festival (google.com) to be a part of this festival.
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