Launch of the two websites of the Indian Writers’ Forum at IIC, Delhi

The sites of the Indian Writers’ Forum were launched on October 1, 2015, in a packed room at the India International Centre, Delhi. The panel for the evening included K. Satchidanandan, Romila Thapar and Shyam B. Menon, with Githa Hariharan chairing the session. Hariharan said that the reason why everyone was assembled together was self-evident in the prevailing atmosphere in the country. She reminded everyone of two figures – Perumal Murugan and M.M. Kalburgi – who stand for all those in the cultural fraternity who have been victims of recent assaults. The Forum, Hariharan added, would be a platform for the entire cultural fraternity, and for all individual and groups who want to speak up against these assaults. The discussion with the audience, especially with the numerous young people present, was lively and engaging. The evening came to a close with a reading of “Pardon”, the English translation of Satchidanandan’s poem for Perumal Murugan.