<p>Saurabh Sharma</p>.<p>Historian William Dalrymple on Thursday highlighted India's deep-rooted tradition of debate and dialogue, as he set the stage for the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), the five-day literary spectacle. Quoting Sanskrit scholar Sheldon Pollock during his opening address, Dalrymple noted that a literary festival was held in Kalyana (Karnataka) in the 9th century. “Literary festivals are not something new to India,” he remarked.</p>.<p>In that regard, the festival met expectations on day one. During a conversation with Mandira Nayar, Geetanjali Shree, author of 'Our City That Year' (translated by Daisy Rockwell), noted that she was trying to “speak of the larger phenomenon” rather than limit her canvas to the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. For her, depicting the “cracking up of society” was crucial to presenting the “changed scenario from my childhood to my adulthood". The novel, in turn, made her explore “why and how” all of this was happening.</p>.<p>At a session titled 'Democracy and Equality: The Constitution Story', senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal critiqued the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying that “we're bringing religion into a secular law". He explained that only a novice would think of reservations and equality as “antithetical". It’s beneficial to look at equity when discussing this, he said, sharing how “patriarchal and societal structures” bring down marginalised people looking at opportunities to grow.</p>.<p>Interestingly, a discussion on the erasure of women was platformed in Surya Hall, which itself is a symbol of one. (The 'Mughal Tent' from the past editions of JLF is nowhere to be seen this year). The session titled 'Wifedom and the Literary Sorority' featured panellists Anna Funder and Katy Hessel, and was moderated by Bee Rowlatt. Australian author Funder, who wrote 'Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life', shared her interest in Eileen Maud Blair’s story. She read from Eileen's diary, where Eileen amusingly admits her marriage will end in either “murder” or “separation". Fascinated by this, Funder delved into researching Eileen, who was purposely erased by a man renowned worldwide for allowing people to imagine the consequences of unrestrained power.</p>.<p>However, there’s one strand of history that wasn’t touched on the first day of JLF — Martyrs’ Day, which marks the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. While this fact was duly acknowledged in the inaugural address, no session was held to deconstruct the machinery of hate that culminated in Gandhi’s assassination.</p>.<p><span class="italic">(Saurabh Sharma is a Delhi-based queer writer and cultural critic)</span></p>
<p>Saurabh Sharma</p>.<p>Historian William Dalrymple on Thursday highlighted India's deep-rooted tradition of debate and dialogue, as he set the stage for the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), the five-day literary spectacle. Quoting Sanskrit scholar Sheldon Pollock during his opening address, Dalrymple noted that a literary festival was held in Kalyana (Karnataka) in the 9th century. “Literary festivals are not something new to India,” he remarked.</p>.<p>In that regard, the festival met expectations on day one. During a conversation with Mandira Nayar, Geetanjali Shree, author of 'Our City That Year' (translated by Daisy Rockwell), noted that she was trying to “speak of the larger phenomenon” rather than limit her canvas to the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. For her, depicting the “cracking up of society” was crucial to presenting the “changed scenario from my childhood to my adulthood". The novel, in turn, made her explore “why and how” all of this was happening.</p>.<p>At a session titled 'Democracy and Equality: The Constitution Story', senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal critiqued the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying that “we're bringing religion into a secular law". He explained that only a novice would think of reservations and equality as “antithetical". It’s beneficial to look at equity when discussing this, he said, sharing how “patriarchal and societal structures” bring down marginalised people looking at opportunities to grow.</p>.<p>Interestingly, a discussion on the erasure of women was platformed in Surya Hall, which itself is a symbol of one. (The 'Mughal Tent' from the past editions of JLF is nowhere to be seen this year). The session titled 'Wifedom and the Literary Sorority' featured panellists Anna Funder and Katy Hessel, and was moderated by Bee Rowlatt. Australian author Funder, who wrote 'Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life', shared her interest in Eileen Maud Blair’s story. She read from Eileen's diary, where Eileen amusingly admits her marriage will end in either “murder” or “separation". Fascinated by this, Funder delved into researching Eileen, who was purposely erased by a man renowned worldwide for allowing people to imagine the consequences of unrestrained power.</p>.<p>However, there’s one strand of history that wasn’t touched on the first day of JLF — Martyrs’ Day, which marks the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. While this fact was duly acknowledged in the inaugural address, no session was held to deconstruct the machinery of hate that culminated in Gandhi’s assassination.</p>.<p><span class="italic">(Saurabh Sharma is a Delhi-based queer writer and cultural critic)</span></p>