38th Basanta Muduli Memorial Ceremony Held in Bhubaneswar •Basanta Muduli was a poet of deep human insight, said speakers
Baleswar, 8/12 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): Basanta Muduli, known as a poet of love and rebellion, was not only a voice of vitality and life but also a blazing creative signature of human understanding. While he portrayed social distortions in his poems, he also remained devoted to the dream of a hopeful new dawn. This was highlighted by Surjya Banshi Suraj, Minister of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, while inaugurating the day-long 38th Basanta Muduli Memorial Ceremony. The event was jointly organised by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and the Basanta Muduli Smruti Sansad, Bhadrak, at the Buddha Temple Auditorium in Bhubaneswar.
Presided over by Pabitra Panigrahi, President of the Smruti Sansad, the inaugural session featured noted litterateur Dr. Prafulla Kumar Mohanty as Chief Guest and Dr. Iti Samanta, Editor of 'Kadambini', as Guest of Honour. Both speakers discussed the many-hued dimensions of the poet’s work, observing that the social awareness and realism in his poetry make it ever-relevant.
Dr. Chandrasekhar Hota, Secretary of Odisha Sahitya Akademi, delivered the welcome address, while Krushna Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Smruti Sansad, presented the annual report. On this occasion, young poet Amarendra Madhab Dash received this year’s prestigious Basanta Muduli Poetry Award, which included a ceremonial shawl, memento and cash prize.
Books were also released at the event. These included 'Selected Poems of Basanta Muduli', translated by Dr. Brajamohan Mishra; 'Chihna Chaalisha', edited by Krushna Kumar Mohanty and featuring poems of 40 previous awardees; 'Will Rise Like a Phoenix', an English collection of the poet’s works; and 'Pushpavitana' by Sweta Rout.
Asst. Secretary Sanjay Kumar Chhualsingh conducted the stage proceedings and proposed the vote of thanks. The ceremony opened with an invocation.
In the second session, a panel discussion titled “Revolutionary Voices in Odia Poetry and Basanta Muduli” was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Shatrughna Pandaba. The panel included Dr. Abhiram Biswal, Dr. Benudhar Padhi and Dr. Fanindra Bhusan Nanda.
The concluding session featured a recital by poets who had previously received the Basanta Muduli Memorial Award. The session was officiated by eminent writer Debdas Chhotray, with anchored by Bijay Malla. Akademi member Chinmaya Mishra and Smruti Sansad members Arun Khilar, Amitav Khilar, Abhishek Khilar, Nirakar Das, Rajanikant Mohanty, Kishore Panigrahi and others extended support for the smooth conduct of the programme.
