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This weekend,all roads will lead to Kasauli,as the first ever Khushwant Singh (KS) Litfest kicks off on October 12. The three-day festival promises to be the destination for book lovers,authors,writers,historians,ecologists or people who love the mountains. The Litfest will bring alive an array of subjects that are of interest to Khushwant Singh,especially topics with a connection to Kasauli and the region around it. My father would like this festival to be a meeting of minds to bring out the power of ideas that can transform our lives. Raj Villa,in Kasauli,has been his summer home for many years,from where he wrote many of his literary works and columns. This festival is a tribute to him, Rahul Singh says fondly about his father at a press conference held today at the Press Club .
Though 97-year-old Singh will not be present at the festival because of ill-health,Rahul says his father would like to dedicate the fest to the young Indian soldier and to all those who serve in this nations defence services. The entire festival has been put together by friends of Singh and lovers of Kasauli,and the Litfest strives to bring alive diverse subjects like Kasaulis fragile ecology,rich heritage,colonial history and ever-present military that has helped preserve one of Indias tiny hill stations.
The festival has been designed to be an interactive affair with a screening of films on Khushwant Singh,auction of the first autographed copy of the Free Thinker Prayer by Singh and a Sufi Gospel Night by Sonam Kalra. The festival will see the presence of Mani Shankar Aiyer,Pradip Krishen,Ruskin Bond,Anita Desai,Salima Hashmi (Faiz Ahmad Faizs daughter),Rahul Bose,Shobhaa De,Lord Meghnad Desai,Malavika Sanghvi,Bachi Karkaria,Deepti Naval,Navtej Sarna,Nirupama Dutt,Dr BN Goswami and Madhu Jain.
The festival is open to all and according to Ashok Chopra,MD and CEO of Hay House in India,who has published several of Singhs books and is co-chairing the festival,the Litfest will present a multitude of discussions on varied topics,be it art in the mountains,homes in Himachal,holidays in Kasauli,history of Sikhs,books to movies and beyond et al,including interactive sessions with the audience. Anand Sethi,the co-chairman of the Litfest and a resident of Dagshai adds that the idea of the festival is not only a coming together of literary minds,but a benefit for Kasauli as well. The profit earned from the festival will be used for the ecological development of the town,primarily in the area of water harvesting and aforestation.
The festival will be inaugurated on October 12 at 5 pm and will conclude on October 14 at 2 pm.
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