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Koshala Lit Fest: Lucknow is not just a city, it is a culture
Experts from different fields shared their views and experiences about the city during a panel discussion on the concluding day of the three-day event
Experts from different fields shared their views and experiences about the city during a panel discussion on the concluding day of three-day Koshala Literature Festival on La Martiniere college campus here on Sunday. Panellists included writer and film-maker Muzaffar Ali, Australian historian John Zubrzycki, author Gurcharan Das besides academic, food critic and historian Pushpesh Pant.
The topic of the discussion was “Reflections in the Mirror of Lucknow”. Starting the session, writer/film-maker Muzaffar Ali said, “Being on the La Martiniere campus reminds me of my father’s association with the school.” He said the buildings of Lucknow speak volumes about the city’s history.
“Lucknow mere liye ek zubaan hai, ek dard hai jo maine ji ke paaya hai. Is Lucknow mein tootke saath judne ki qaifiyat hai, taakat hai, (“Lucknow for me is a language and a pain that I have lived through. Breaking apart and coming together in this city provides a unique quality to a person”),” he added. He also spoke about his book, “Zikr: In the Light and Shade of Time”.
Author Gurcharan Das said his knowledge of Lucknow was from films and literature as he never lived here for too long. In his address, he spoke about structures like Bara Imambara and Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh, who had got it constructed.
Speaking of his experiences with Lucknow, author and scholar in Indian history John Zubrzycki shared his various Lucknow visits and meeting with the late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. The conversation, moderated by Lucknow University professor Nishi Pandey, kept the audience engaged.
Academic, historian and food critic Pushpesh Pant recalled his time in Lucknow. He also reminisced about the time when he refused to accept an award from Mulayam Singh Yadav out of the apprehension that he would be seen as supporting a political party.
“For me, Lucknow is a reflection of my life. It holds a special place in my heart. To me, Lucknow is the most magnificent city in the world. Lucknowites take pride in their language, cuisine and attire and food here is excellent,” Pant said.
In the session ‘Mysticism and Muzaffar’ with film-maker Muzaffar Ali and writer Sathya Saran, Ali spoke about his childhood and how he developed an interest in arts.
Speaking of his book ‘Zikr: In the Light and Shade of Time’, he shared the difficulties he faced during the writing of the book. Talking about music, he said, “Music is something which liberates one. It has words, emotions and meaning.” He encouraged the audience to invest in writing and other creative pursuits.
