In a poignant nod to Chhattisgarh’s literary soul, the Raipur Literature Festival 2026 unfolded grandly today at the Vinod Kumar Shukla Mandap. Chief guest Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Chairman CM Vishnu Dev Sai led proceedings, with Deputy CM Arun Sao, Hindi University VC Dr. Kumud Sharma, and actor Manoj Joshi adding star power.
Key releases included Chhattisgarh’s 25-year milestone booklet, a pictorial literary chronicle, J. Nandakumar’s scientific nationalism exploration, Anshu Joshi’s stark narrative ‘Red Walls, White Lies,’ and Rajiv Ranjan Prasad’s defiant ‘Your Rule Won’t Come.’ These launches ignited anticipation for the literary marathon ahead.
Harivansh bowed to Shukla, extolling the state’s timeless narrative traditions and the festival’s ingenuity. He wove in Kabir’s Kawardha bonds, proclaiming one book’s transformative force and quoting Gupt on literature’s hopeful, courageous essence. Amid India’s rapid growth narrative—leading steel, rice, startups—he envisioned 2047 prosperity.
Sai proclaimed Chhattisgarh Ram’s sacred land, dubbing the event a literary Maha Kumbh with 120+ national figures. His Samudra Manthan metaphor illuminated freedom fighters’ dual roles as authors, praising Chaturvedi’s ‘Pushp ki Abhilasha’ and Sapre’s ‘Ek Tokri Bhar Mitti.’ Memorials to Pandey, Bakshi, Muktibodh affirm cultural duty, exemplified by Rajnandgaon’s Triveni.
Named after luminaries like Shukla, Chaturvedi, Jagdulpuri, and Nirav, the venues honor shapers of identity. Poetry, Sai said, fuels injustice resistance—echoed in Vajpayee’s resilient poetry. Sao celebrated Basant Panchami’s literary bounty from Chhattisgarh soil; Sharma saw literature fueling Atmanirbhar Bharat’s cultural forge.
Sessions buzzed with debates on literature, democracy, society—youth leading the charge amid throngs. This inauguration heralds an era of enriched discourse and cultural vitality.