Language No Bar

Ever since it started two years ago,‘Samanvay Bhartiya Bhasha Mahotsav’,organised by the India Habitat Centre (IHC),has upheld and opened conversations for multilingualism in the country. Bringing together writers,poets,musicians,lyricists and theatre persons,among others,of different regions on one platform,the third edition of the Samanvay-IHC Indian Languages Festival 2013 is back this year. Starting on October 24,the festival will celebrate “Jodti Zubanein,Judti Zubanein: Language Connections” as its theme.

The four-day event will include 20 languages and dialects such as Bhojpuri,Punjabi,Rajasthani,Khasi and Telugu and will also feature performances such as dastangoi,poetry performances,a stand-up comedy show by Varun Grover and a session with poets Gulzar and Kedarnath Singh. “It is not only about listeners,readers and authors; it is also about the ethics and ethos of connecting through a language. Language will always speak. A language can also silence. There is meaning in both,and our different authors will add to our efforts,” says Raj Liberhan,director,IHC,in his note.

There are sessions such as “Body Matters: Eros and Violence”; “[Punjabi A Tale of Two Languages”; “[Gujarati Anek Aadhipatya,Bahutere Vidroh: Resistance in Gujarat,Now” and “Oral literary languages of Karnataka”. While personalities from the film industry such as Mahesh Bhatt and Piyush Mishra will make a pitstop,one will also find Bhojpuri folk singer Sharda Sinha,who has sung for Gangs of Wasseypur II and is a panelist for “[Bhojpuri Tradition and People’s Literature”.

Samanvay-IHC Indian Languages Festival 2013 will be held at India Habitat Centre,from October 24 to 27. Entry free. Visit http://www.ilfsamanvay.org for the schedule