Rajasthan  January 20, 2014: The five-day seventh edition of Jaipur Literature Festival being held at Diggi Palace of Jaipurwas inaugurated by Margaret Alva, the Governor of Rajasthan.

Delivering a passionate welcome address, she said that, “going by the analogy of  our centuries-old tradition, the kind of gathering  that assembled here at Jaipur for the Literature Festival can be  called as ‘Kumbh’ of world literature.” She said that from Nobel laureates to local writers, thinkers from all over the world and hundreds and thousands of enthusiasts were gathering there to express and exchange ideas. “Sometimes it may be a creative ripple and sometimes it may be a tsunami.” The fundamental block of democracy is dialogue between divergent perspectives. Such dialogues through public debate, election rallies, and media analyses are at the heart of the democracy.  She said that the JLF has evolved into a unique forum where “personalities of our times engage with writers and readers in a collective quest for exploration for new ideas.” 

She reminded the gathering that last year it was Mahashweta Devi and His Holiness Dalai Lama who graced the festival. “This time we have the argumentative Indian of our very own Nobel laureate Prof AmartyaSen amongst us. And other Nobel laureate in the field of medicine, Dr Vamus, will be arriving by tomorrow. I have read and admired Prof  AmartyaSen and his works  give pragmatic ideas  of policy formulations. In 1980 Prof Sen perceptibly noted  that India had conquered  famines, thanks largely due to  democratic institutions and  the media. However, malnutrition persisted. In subsequent works Prof AmartyaSen and Dr Deriz advocated the entitlement approach. It included the society’s entitlement vis-a-vis the state to acquire food. The India’s food policy in 21st century drawing upon the entitlement perspective envisages direct attack on the malnutrition and   among other measures  the Right to food. This reflects the maturing  Indian responses.” She said.

“Seventy per cent of our population is under the age of 45. The youth are impatient. They want change, reform, good governance, quality education, job security and a new social order that responds to their aspirations. Unless governments and law makers  and administrative  machinery , the courts, the civil society and even our homes  understand this undercurrent and  respond in  a meaningful way, I’m afraid the anger will spill over and forcibly breakdown everything. To the youth seeking over the change I would quote Gandhiji’s famous words: Be the change you wish to be,” she thus concluded her speech.