Indian value system, collective identity highlighted at JLF sessions on second day

The ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival explores Indian values, threats to secularism, and the importance of pluralism.

Indian value system, collective identity, attacks on the voices of dissent and threats to secularism were highlighted at some of the sessions in the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) here on Friday, with the distinguished authors throwing up a gamut of ideas for the audience. The speakers affirmed that promoting pluralism and multiculturism would only strengthen the nation.

The second day of the five-day festival witnessed discussions on diverse themes, ranging from fiction and memoir to politics, espionage, travel, Second World War, and India’s economic future. The inspirational and reflective sessions covered multiple genres in books by acclaimed and award-winning writers and speakers.

Political theorist Rajeev Bhargava said at a session on ‘The new India: Between hope and despair’ that the distortion of Indian secularism by its opponents would create divisions in society and weaken the country. “Secularism is necessary for maintaining pluralism within the Hindu religion as well,” Mr. Bhargava said, while laying emphasis on the collective ethical identity.

Mr. Bhargava said asking uncomfortable questions was being equated with anti-nationalism in the present dispensation and the people were afraid of speaking up because of threats. Those raising voice of dissent were facing “disproportionate retaliatory action” by the State, he added.

India’s new place in the comity of nations was discussed at a session which centred on the new book, ‘The Elephant Moves’, authored by Stanford University’s Amit Kapoor. The speakers highlighted India’s governance and technological infrastructure, as well as the challenges for social development and employment generation.

‘At home and the world’ highlighted India’s core identity maintained amid migrations and societal changes. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Manmohan Vaidya said the essence behind the continuity of Indian culture was the magnanimity shown by the people to outsiders and the acceptance of diversity. However, there was a need to correct certain aberrations in history, he said.