An evening dedicated to Story writer Nibaran Jena held on the sixth day of Bhasha Pakshya by OBBA
Balasore, 28/02 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): On the sixth day of Bhasha Pakshya and the ongoing Cottage Book Fair, 'Odia Bhasa Bikash Andolan' (OBBA) organized a literary evening in honour of eminent story writer Nibaran Jena.
The programme was presided over by Dr. Laxmikanta Tripathy. Speaking on the occasion, critic Smruti Das said that during his five decades of literary journey, Jena has built a remarkable edifice of words that will continue to uphold the dignity and pride of Odia short story literature. She noted that his contribution remains significant in shaping contemporary narrative sensibilities.
Young researcher Trinath Nandi presented a bird's eye view of Jena’s literary works and pointed out that the settings and characters in his stories remain very close to lived reality. According to him, the strength of Jena’s fiction lies in its truthful portrayal of human psychology and social situations.
Another young critic, Ritesh Das, observed that though the writer’s personal conduct and speech are gentle and restrained, the voice of his fictional protagonists is intense and searching. He added that Jena has created a meaningful bridge between the inner spirit of his stories and his own reflective self.
In his address, Nibaran Jena stated that the plots of his stories and novels are drawn from real-life experiences. He gathers narrative elements from the minds and lives of people he encounters in his everyday surroundings, which gives authenticity to his creations.
Chairing the session, Dr. Choudhury Satyabrata Nanda explained the objective of the celebration and compared Jena’s stories to the clear and flowing waters of a river. A poem written by Dr. Laxmikanta Tripathy on Jena was rendered by Kalyani Nanda. Joint Secretary Jumarnath Patra invited the guests to the stage. Deepak Bose presented a reading of one of Jena’s stories, while Dr. Sarangadhar Tripathy proposed the vote of thanks.
