Nepal-India literature festival concludes with 10-point declaration

The three-day Nepal-India Literature Festival concluded with the adoption of 10-point Biratnagar declaration.

The festival jointly organized by Biratnagar Metropolitan City and Krantidhara Literature Academy of Merath, India was formally wrapped up on Sunday. A 10-point declaration highlighting mutual promotion of literatures of Nepal and India was adopted on the occasion.

Among the charters in the declaration included translating Nepali literature in to Hindi and Hindi in to Nepali for mutual promotion, undertaking further research on connecting Mahabharat-era King Birat’s palace with Mahabharat Circuit in coordination with the Department of Archeology and historians and encouraging young literary writers to further explore the archeological artifacts.

The declaration also highlighted the need of organizing several literary functions in both the country throughout the year and incentivizing youth literary writers of Nepal and India.

Wrapping up the festival, Biratnagar metropolis mayor Nagesh Koirala said they would play role to strengthen the bilateral relations through the medium of language, literature, art and culture.

“We have merely considered physical development as the development”, Koirala said, adding, “Promotion of language, literature, art and culture should also be considered development. It only leads to the creation of a society with culture and prosperity”.

As many as 350 literary writers representing all seven provinces of Nepal and majority states of India had participated in the festival. Over 200 litterateurs had cited literary creations on the occasion.

Senior literary figure Bibash Pokharel presided over the closing event.