New Delhi, YNN | Rajat Bansal
Sahitya Akademi organized a Literary Forum programme today at its Third Floor Auditorium, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, in which Mr. Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, Dean, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University & former Minister of Culture of Lithuania, who is currently on a visit to India, participated with a packet of books and angvastram. He also felicitated H.E. Ms. Daina Mickeviciene, Ambassador of Lithuania to India, who accompanied Mr. Kvietkauskas and graced the occasion with her august presence.
At the outset, Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi, in his brief welcome speech, said that the aim, the end, the goal of all human aspirations may be unity or oneness, but the nature of life on earth, human societies, and the Cosmos itself is based on multiplicity. Discussing the topic of this Forum, he said Vilnius has always been multicultural by nature. The city has not only been part of the history of Lithuania but also many histories of other societies. For that matter, Lithuania too has been part of many cultures as it is at the intersection of several societies. He went on to add that Vilnius is the perfect example of how multiculturalism leads to vibrant communities in Europe.
Mr. Kvietkauskas, while delivering his lecture on Multilingual and Multicultural City and Cultural/Historical Memories, touched upon various cultures, particularly Lithuanian followed by Latin, Polish, German, Roman, and Jewish cultures, which connect different literatures and cultures. While explaining in detail about the four major Lithuanian writers, he said that the literary groups run by them created a multilingual and multicultural environment in Vilnius. He discussed the topic of his lecture through a PowerPoint presentation.
The programme ended with a question-and-answer session. Dr. K. Sreenivasarao thanked the audience for attending this programme and making it a big success. Several eminent writers, scholars, and literary lovers were present on the occasion.
