Authors of Nepal, India discuss poetry movement

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 17: Authors from Nepal and India discussed contemporary literature at an event organised by the World Poetry Movement on Saturday.

The event was hosted in honour of L. Hanumanthaiah, famous poet from Karnataka, India. Hanumanthaiah originally wrote in the Kannada language. Also a politician of the Indian National Congress and a former member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, the poet mainly writes about Dalit issues and others. 

Hanumanthaiah has many books on poetry and non-fiction including the famous poetry books Kappu Kannina Hudugi (Black-eyed Girl), Avva (Mother), Avvana Kavithe (Mother's Poem), Akshara Aksharave (Oh' Letters! My Letters!) and  Karna Raaga (Karna's Agony). 

Moreover, he has won many awards including Ambedkar Award for the significant contribution to social and literary fields.

At the event, Keshab Sigdel, Nepali poet and Asia coordinator of the World Poetry Movement, presented the major features of Nepali literature and a brief introduction to Hanumanthaiah. 

Hanumanthaiah presented the main tendencies as well as a short history of Kannada literature.

He claimed that Kannada literature stands as world-class literature. "Most of Kannada authors write for the change," he said, "They do not do it just for the sake of art."

According to him, Dalit issue is one of the compelling themes of the Kannada literature.

"Dalan, the suppression based on caste, is the major stigma of Indian society, and the Kannada authors raise powerful voices against it," he said.

He dreamt of the salvation of the Dalit community. "Literature may be the major tool for the purpose," he said.

"Even prostitutes wrote poetry in the 12th century in the Kannada language,' he said, discussing the history of Kannada literature.

At the function, Hanumanthaiah presented some of his poems, which focused mainly on social anomalies in Kannada and English.

Similarly, Nepali poets including Amar Shah, Anupam Roshi, Avaya Shrestha, Bal Bahadur Thapa, Bishwa Bimohan Shrestha, Laxmi Bardewa, Keshab Sigdel, Kishor Pahadi, Manisha Gauchan, Momila Joshi, Rajeshwar Karki, Sabita Gautam Dahal and Sarita Bhattarai presented their poems. 

Their poems explored diverse themes of human society including the rebellion against social discrimination, philosophical aspects of love and nature and so on.