Belletristic Shoolini Loves Literature Society of Shoolini University, Solan, organised a panel discussion on “The Literature of Politics and the Politics of Literature” in which the key speakers were Prof. Bupinder Brar and Pampa Mukherjee, distinguished academicians from Panjab University.
The discussion was focused on the interface between literature and politics, two distinct fields which are undoubtedly linked in more ways than one. Prof. Brar spoke about the difference between the two disciplines and how literature is influenced by the politics of the age and simultaneously, how the politics of an era determine the kind of writing that is produced.
Pampa Mukherjee carried the conversation further with reference to various texts, particularly Sri Lal Shukla’s Raag Darbari, which gives an insight into the politics of post-independence Indian society. There was also some discussion on the works of Tagore and writings related to the Partition.
The other discussants were Prof Ramesh Chauhan from HPU and faculty members of the Department of English Shoolini University, Purnima Bali, Neeraj Pizzar, and Sakshi Sundaram.
Prof. Manju Jaidka, Head of the English Department explained that the session was the Society’s experimental foray into interdisciplinary discussions and hoped that more such events would follow. She further added that next Friday’s Belletristic session would be a special one called the “Belletristic Merry-Go-Round”.
