Dehradun, On the eve of India’s 80th Independence Day, an international online poetry symposium titled “Ae Watan Tere Liye: Ek Shaam–Desh Ke Naam” was grandly organized jointly by Lekhak Gaon, Srijani Global (USA, Canada and Germany), and the Indo-German Literary Forum (Vishwa Hindi Shala Sansthan, Europe). The programme was chaired by Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, former Union Education Minister, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and founder of Lekhak Gaon. Held under the patronage of Vidushi Nishank, Director of Lekhak Gaon, and coordinated by Dr. Shipra Shilpi Saxena, International Coordinator of Lekhak Gaon, the event witnessed the direct and indirect participation of children, youth and overseas writers from more than 60 countries.
Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that “Ae Watan Tere Liye” is not merely a book, but a pledge to the nation—a pledge to serve the country selflessly with an unblemished heart. Recalling Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he said that the poetry collection had been released by him. He emphasized that literature plays a significant role in connecting children and youth with the spirit of patriotism.
Vidushi ‘Nishank’, Director of Lekhak Gaon, said that the literature of Dr. Nishank is guiding both the present and future generations. The recitation of his works by children reflects that the younger generation is increasingly connecting with literature and the spirit of nationalism. She said that Lekhak Gaon would continue to encourage and promote such talented young participants.
Dr. Shipra Shilpi Saxena said that the recitation of poems from “Ae Watan Tere Liye” by children and young people would sow the seeds of a sense of duty towards the nation in their minds. She said that literature possesses the power to transform society and influence people’s thinking. She further emphasized that competition should always be with oneself and that everyone should continuously strive to become better.
At the beginning of the programme, Dr. Bechain Kandiyal, Public Relations Officer of Lekhak Gaon and senior litterateur, highlighted the national consciousness reflected in Dr. Nishank’s literature and presented an impressive recitation of his works. He said that the literature of Dr. Nishank carries strong voices of national consciousness and inspires readers to reflect upon their responsibilities towards the country and society.
The programme was organized in two sessions. In the first session, children and young participants recited poems from Dr. Nishank’s poetry collection “Ae Watan Tere Liye.” In the Best Poetry Recitation Competition, Navya Bhatt secured the first position, Shakira Saifi the second, and Vrinda Vani the third. In the Best Costume category, Manasvi Verma stood first, Saloni second, and Shakira Saifi third.
Chetanya, Manasvi Verma, Saloni Negi, Samriddhi Gupta, Vaishnavi Saklani, Ananya Pal, Arpit Anitwal and Anushree Mishra also delivered impressive poetry recitations. The charming performances by Savi Sharma of Sunrise Academy, a Class 1 student, and Hardik Khatri, a Class 2 student, won the appreciation of everyone present. The first session was conducted by Monika Sharma, Head of the Hindi Department at Sunrise Academy.
In the second session, eminent writers from India and abroad recited Dr. Nishank’s works as well as their own original patriotic compositions. From abroad, Kapil Kumar (Belgium), Vishwas Dubey (Netherlands), Dr. Kavita Singh Prabha (India), Shubhra Ojha (USA), Aradhana Jha Srivastava (Singapore), Vivek Mani Tripathi (China), Prachi Chaturvedi Randhawa (Canada), Dr. Meenu Manasi (Qatar), Sangeeta Chaubey Pankhuri (Kuwait), Ashutosh Kumar (UK), Manish Pandey ‘Manu’ (Netherlands), Pankhuri Bhatnagar (Germany), Rashmi Trivedi (Germany), and Atila Kothalawala (Sri Lanka) enthralled the audience with their patriotic compositions.
From India, Dr. Kiran Khanna, Dr. Radha Bisht, Indira Sharma, Prabuddh, and Dr. Bharti Mishra, along with other writers, also presented patriotic and sensitive compositions.
Pooja Pokhriyal and Aashna Kandiyal Negi made special contributions to the conceptualization of the programme. At the conclusion, Dr. Bechain Kandiyal expressed his gratitude to all the participants, writers and collaborators for making the international poetry symposium a success.