Panel Discussions

• THEME 1. CAN MYTHOLOGY ILLUMINATE SCIENCE?
  Since time immemorial, mythological tales have influenced human lives, given hope in times of despair and inspired us to live a more meaningful life. Mythology has also very often illuminated the nature of reality in terms of life’s philosophy and spirituality. It has also given insights in both natural sciences and social sciences. Is mythology a mere collection of stories, forgotten history, sheer moral texts or a scientific discipline?
  Panelists: Suniti Namjoshi , Tarun Menon , Kavita Kane
  
  
• THEME 2. MEMOIRS FROM GREEN BACKYARD
  What kinds of questions does green literature ask? What sort of issues eco­criticism deals with? What is the role of “literature” in our relationship with our environment? With green backyards slowly disappearing from our houses and our memories, these
  questions become more pertinent than ever. In this discussion, we’ll explore the answers to these and many more.
  Panelists: Ravi Chellam , Arun Krishnamurthy , Pankaj Sekhsaria
  
  
• THEME 3. WOMEN WEAVING WORDS
  Virginia Woolf said that a woman should have ‘a room of her own’ if she is to write. Now that women from all sections of society are putting pen to paper; we have to look at what women in our age are writing about. This panel will ask what the challenges  before women writers are? Can women writers dissociate from patriarchy? What kind of spaces can women writers create?
  Panelists: Jacinta Kerketta ,  Meghna Pant , Karishma Attari , Soibam Haripriya
  
  
• THEME 4. GROWING UP WITH LITERATURE
  Some of life’s greatest lessons and fondest memories could be discovered holding books in those tiny hands. Whether it was imagining life with Alice in her Wonderland or learning morality through animal fables of Panchatantra, children’s literature has indeed come a long way. Let’s walk down the memory lane and understand how children’s literature has evolved over time.
  Panelists: Anushka Ravishankar , Kiran Manral , Radhika Menon , Scharada Dubey
  
  
• THEME 5. A COUNTRY CALLED EARTH
  Borders, in the modern era, divide humanity in sometimes water­tight compartments. People need visas to go to a country of which they are not a citizen. Attempts by non­citizens to enter a country without visas are branded illegal and thwarted. Even meta­nation organizations are unable to keep the borders’ issue at bay. This panel will ask if borders are the future of humanity or can we live in a country called Earth?
  Panelists: Urmilesh . Beni Prasad Agarwal , Kartikeya Bajpai
  
  
• THEME 6. REVISITING LITERATURE THROUGH CINEMA
  From Shakespeare to Rabindranath Tagore to Ruskin Bond, cinema has been inspired by many authors. Collaborations of filmmakers with writers has broadened the cinematic spectrum for artists as well as the audience. Discussing the contribution of many great writers, we debrief association between literature and cinema.
  Panelists: Anjum Rajabali , Shama Zaidi , Indranil Bhattacharya
  
  
• THEME 7. JOURNEY FROM ILLUSION TO REALITY
  Mysticism is about being one with the Infinite. Should we aspire to become one with the Infinite? Or should we simply be human? Emily Bronte wrote ­ “Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes ceased to be, And Thou were left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee” In this backdrop, we delve deeper to understand who’s supreme – Infinite or the man?
  Panelists: Vipul Rikhi, Ashish Pandey, Badri Narayan

Syahi: The Literary Society

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