The three-day seminar on ‘Right to Write: The Cultural of Literary Controversies and Controversial Literatures’, being jointly organised by the English Department of Kakatiya University and IACLALS (India Association of Common Wealth Literature and Language Society), concluded on Sunday afternoon.
Taking part at the valedictory session of the seminar, popular Telugu feminist writer Volga said that women and Dalits were struggling for the “right to write”. They were being subjected to different kinds of censorships. Illiteracy and confinement to home were the primary forms of exploitation. Family, parents, brothers, husband and sons do censor the writings of women. Remaining “a good woman” becomes the utmost important thing. In such a life that women lead, dreams, desires, and skills are suppressed, she said.
The society and family expect them not to indulge in activities that are detriment to them. Not only women, the censorship continues on Dalits as well, she observed.
Still, despite all these impediments, women and Dalits are now finding a voice in books. Progressive forces should try to stand by them, she said.
IACLALS chairperson Prof. G.J.V. Prasad said that the aim of conducting the seminar to empower and encourage young scholars was fulfilled. prof. N. Rama Swamy, K. Purushotham, K. Damodar Rao, and Dr. Subhendu Mund were among those present.
In the ‘meet the author’ session with upcoming English Novelist Sharath Komarraju, delegates actively participated in the face-to-face interaction. Sharath, who quit the luring software engineer job at IBM and took up full-time writing, published 10 novels in different genres by reputed publishers like Harper Collins. Reading books of favourite authors, writing daily and reviewing are the key points to hone skills of writing, said Sharath.
