19th Vidrohi Marathi Sahitya Sammelan kicks off Today

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The 19th All India Vidrohi Marathi Sahitya Sammelan will commence on Saturday at 10.30 am at Amkhas Maidan. The event will be inaugurated by Ambedkarite Hindi litterateur Kanwal Bharti from Delhi under the chairmanship of Dr. Ashok Rana. A vibrant cultural procession will set the stage, beginning at 9 AM from the statues of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in Aurangpura.

The inaugural ceremony will feature prominent personalities, including Dr. Vasudev Mulate, Prof. Pratibha Ahire, Prof. Pralhad Lulekar, Urdu writer Noorul Hasnain, and Suryakanta Gade. Attendees will witness "Satyaacha Akhand Gayan" by Sheetal Gavit from Nandurbar, a Pavari recital by Amrut Bheel and his team from Dhule, and a tribute performance "Vandan Manusala" honouring folk poet Wamandada Kardak. Narendra Rathod and his team will present Kabir’s couplets, while Dr Ganesh Chandanshive from Mumbai will lead the Vidrohi Sammelan Anthem. At 1 pm, folk poet Dr Ganesh Chandanshive and his troupe will perform a powerful Shahiri presentation. The prestigious Vidrohi Lifetime Achievement Awards will follow at 1.30 pm, recognizing contributions from Prof. H. M. Desarda, Prof. M. R. Lamkhede, Tukaram Gaikwad, Madhukar Wakode, A. K. Sheikh, Prof. Prakash Sirsat, Dr. Suryanarayan Ransubhe, Dr. Sitaram Jadhav, and veteran journalist S. S. Khandalkar. At 2 pm, a thought-provoking panel discussion titled "Religious Streams Against Indian Inequality" will feature experts Arvind Surwade (chair), Prof. Mohan Babhulgaonkar, Koraneswar Appaji, Dharmakirti Maharaj, Prabhu Rajgadkar, and Arvind Khairnar. This will be followed by a series of book launches at 4 pm. At 5.15 pm, another engaging panel discussion on "Dialect, Standard Language, and Cultural Politics" will bring together Dr Vandana Mahajan, Dr Devendra Ingle, Dr Dilip Chavan, Dr Liladhar Patil, Dr Ashok Naranware, and Dr Shivaji Huse to explore linguistic and cultural issues.

The day will conclude with a dose of humour as stand-up comedian Ankur Tangade from Beed takes the stage at 7.30 pm, promising an entertaining finale to the opening day of the Sammelan. The three-day literary gathering is expected to draw scholars, writers, and literature enthusiasts, making it a significant cultural event in Maharashtra’s literary calendar.