ILF Samanvay concludes with new hope for Indian languages

The 5th edition of India Habitat Centre’s Indian Languages Festival (ILF) Samanvay 2015, held from November 26-29, 2015, focused on the theme ‘Insider/Outsider, Writing India’s Dreams and Realities’. This edition of the festival broadened its mandate by developing in a range of verticals such as a curated art space, daily workshops by eminent experts on translation to food appreciation, and social outreach in schools with the festival resource persons, and curated food stalls focusing on the food traditions of Kashmir, Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, and book releases among others.

In addition to the features mentioned above, the festival brought together authors, writers, translators and publishers from various Indian languages onto the same platform, to discuss and debate different aspects of how a creative person remain at once an Insider and an Outsider to understand the pulse of changing times and make creative and lasting interventions.

Rakesh Kacker, festival director ILF Samanvay and director, India Habitat Centre, in his concluding remarks said, “I think this edition of ILF Samanvay has been a landmark in bringing together relevant contemporary reflections from various Indian languages on one platform. I am delighted that this year we could launch other features such as art-articulations, workshops, among others.” The creative director of ILF Samanvay 2015, Rizio Yohannan Raj, in the closing ceremony extended her appreciation and thanks to all the panelists, artists, workshop resource persons associated with this edition.