NPSC Lit Fest: The literary extravaganza honouring 50 years of glory
The mega NPSC Lit Fest 2023 was organized by the National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC) on Saturday, 18th February 2023, at India Habitat Centre, Silver Oak Hall, from 10AM to 4:30 PM, to mark their 50 glorious years. HT School was the media partner for the Lit Fest. The bejeweled presence of dignitaries across the literary field created a solid ambience where powerful ideas and emotions were exchanged.
Dr. Sudha Acharya, Chairperson, NPSC & Principal ITL Public School, accorded a warm welcome to all the luminaries saying that a platform like this, provides an opportunity to rediscover our roots and remind us of our tangible and intangible heritage that has existed for generations. She welcomed the strong literary lineage of writers, poets, and thinkers who have chronicled the times and enriched the intellectual traditions. The very distinguished Chief Guest & iconic cultural personality of India, and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh brought an ethereal edge to this literary amalgamation. She quoted diverse interpretations from the works of stalwarts of the literary world.
There were multiple sessions in the programme. Session 1 titled ‘Poetry as a Healing Art’ comprised distinguished poets including Sukrita Paul Kumar, Mugdha Sinha, Professor Anand Khatri, Dr. Smita Pant Bansal, and Sunita Singh. It was moderated by Dr. Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Former Chairperson of NPSC, who initiated deliberations on the therapeutic effect of poetry. The stage revelled with wit, humour, music, poetry, and camaraderie as the spectacular line-up of literary luminaries reflected on their immersive experiences.
Next came ‘The Budding Authors’ session which buzzed with an ever-escalating excitement from students including aspiring writers who have an array of published books with ISBN credit. Out of 24 young authors, a careful selection of best 8 was made by revered author Sutapa Basu and Anupama Jain over an enthusiastic tete-e-tete. Meaningful engagements on writer's block, brevity, and nurturing of ideas encompassed the session.
The session that followed was called ‘The Cliff-hanger'. It had the powerful presence of Anita Karwal, IAS, Former Secretary Education & Chairperson of CBSE alongside IPS Atul Karwal, who are well-known for their insightful and life changing books.
The culminating session titled ‘Literary Textures - from Art to Heart’ was about the value of shared experiences and knowledge inclusivity. It was graced by the awe-inspiring presence of Padma Shri Professor Urvashi Butalia, IAS Raghav Chandra, IAS Subhash Garg, IAS Sunita Pant Bansal & Dr. Santosh Bakaya.
The true success of programmes like the NPSC Lit Fest lies in the development of new relationships and friendships that paint our life’s canvas with progressive thought process. Malika Preman, Principal, Tagore International wrapped up the programme by expressing gratitude to distinguished panellists who showcased diverse forms of written marvels, aesthetically knitted and deliberated.