Prominent attendees include Suresh Dwadashiwar, MP Manojkumar Jha, Tushar Gandhi, Medha Patkar, Sonam Wangchuk, and others.
Pune: ‘Gandhi Lit Fest’ organized by the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi will be held at Gandhi Bhavan, Kothrud, Pune, from March 7th to 9th, 2025. The three-day sammelan will be inaugurated on Friday, March 7th, at 4 PM. Senior editor and thinker, Suresh Dwadashiwar, is the Sammelan President. The sammelan will be inaugurated by Manojkumar Jha, spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Member of the Rajya Sabha. Dr. Kumar Saptarshi, the organizer and President of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, and Laxmikant Deshmukh, the Chairman of the Reception Committee said while briefing the Press Conference. Trustee Secretary Anwar Rajan, Youth Kranti Dal State Organizer Appa Anarse and Welcome Committee Member Prasanna Patil were present on the occasion.
Former President of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, Laxmikant Deshmukh, will be the Chairman of the Reception Committee of this Sahitya Sammelan. Special attractions include the participation of distinguished dignitaries such as Sammelan President senior editor and thinker Suresh Dwadashiwar, veteran Gandhian thinker Tushar Gandhi, senior environmental activist Medha Patkar, renowned environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, Rajiv Gandhi Award recipient Ram Puniyani, senior editor Shriram Pawar, director of Nayi Talim Sanstha Sushma Sharma, former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Anand Kumar, Dhammasangini Rama, industrialist Arun Firodia, and others. This Gandhi Vichar Sahitya Sammelan, featuring a packed three-day program including an inaugural ceremony, panel discussions and debates, and cultural events, will also host a book exhibition with thousands of books on Mahatma Gandhi available for sale. The registration fee is ₹150, which includes food and refreshments.
The sammelan will commence with a Sarva Dharma Prarthana (interfaith prayer) at the inauguration. The event will be presided over by Sammelan President senior editor Suresh Dwadashiwar and will be inaugurated by Manojkumar Jha, spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Member of the Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, at 8 PM, a special program entitled “Bharatiya Samvidhan Ka Sangeetmay Safar” (The Musical Journey of the Indian Constitution), featuring Hindi film songs that celebrate constitutional values, will be presented. The script for this program is written by Laxmikant Deshmukh, and the performance will be delivered by Pradeep Niphadkar, Dhananjay Pawar, and their ensemble.
The next two days will feature a full schedule of eight sessions of panel discussions and debates. On Saturday, March 8th, the discussions will explore topics including “Gandhiji’s ‘Nayi Talim’: Can it Transform Today’s Education System?” (with speakers Sushma Sharma, Heramb Kulkarni, and Sachin Desai), “Gandhiji and Ambedkar: Two Architects of Modern India” (featuring Dr. Kumar Saptarshi, Anand Kumar, and Rahul Dambale), “The Hindu-Muslim Question and Gandhiji” (with Ram Puniyani, Tushar Gandhi, and Anwar Rajan), “Caste, Class, and Gender Struggles: A Gandhian Perspective” (featuring Ajit Abhyankar, Dhammasangini Rama, and Dr. Shruti Tambe), and “Gandhi Revisited!” (with Sanjay Awate, Chandrakant Jhatale, and Prasad Gawde). The day’s events will culminate in “Bapuji in Poetry,” a recital of poems reflecting the life and philosophy of Gandhi (performed by Anjali Kulkarni, Ranjit Mohite, and Savita Kurundwade).
The sammelan’s third day, Sunday, March 9th, will feature three sessions: a discussion “Me and Gandhi” (Shriram Pawar, Arun Firodia, Chandrakant Wankhede, Dr. Shamsuddin Tamboli), a dramatic reading of two Gandhi stories (Laxmikant Deshmukh, Manoj Dalimbkar, and associates), and a discussion “My Inner Voice” (Medha Patkar, Dr. Kumar Saptarshi, Vivek Sawant). The sammelan will then culminate at 4 PM with a closing ceremony, where prominent environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk will be the chief guest and Sammelan President senior editor and thinker Suresh Dwadashiwar will preside.
Dr. Kumar Saptarshi and Laxmikant Deshmukh, on behalf of the organizing committee, cordially invites everyone to attend Gandhi Vichar Sahitya Sammelan.
