Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan being greeted by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha during the closing ceremony of the ‘Unmesha-International Literature Festival’ in Patna on September 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
On his first official visit to Bihar after assuming office, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Sunday (September 28, 2025) said it was the concept of ‘dharma’ that kept the country united, despite its people speaking different languages.He was addressing the valedictory session of the third edition of the Unmesha International Literature Festival in Patna, organised at Gyan Bhavan, Samrat Ashoka Convention Centre.Addressing the gathering, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that ‘Unmesha’ signified the awakening of new ideas, narratives, and perspectives, celebrating diversity in thought, and bridging divides of language, culture, geography, and ideology. He expressed confidence that the festival would continue to be a cornerstone of literary culture, inspiring future generations of writers, thinkers, and readers.“In Europe, someone once expressed surprise at India’s linguistic unity and asked how it was possible. To this, I replied that the people here may speak in different languages, but they remain united through the concept of dharma (code of conduct),” Mr. Radhakrishnan said. Unmesha had brilliantly realised the vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (one India, best India), he said.With over 550 participants from 15 countries, including India, over 100 languages were represented in 90 sessions at the literature festival.Evoking Goddess Sita, the Buddha, Lord Mahavira, and the Nalanda and Vikramshila universities, born in the land of Bihar, he said these universities had played a significant role in India attaining the status of a world leader.The Vice-President also recalled his association with the Sampoorna Kranti (‘Total Revolution’) movement led by Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan when he was just 19 years old. He paid floral tributes to Jayaprakash Narayan’s statue at J.P. Golambar in Patna.The event was also attended by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, State Minister of Tourism Raju Kumar Singh, and others. Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture, Vivek Aggarwal, and Madhav Kaushik, President, Sahitya Akademi were also present on the dais.In his speech, the Vice-President also referred to Mr. Khan as “an old friend, since the days both of us were Members of Parliament”.Paid my humble tributes and salutes to Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan Ji at J. P. Golambar in Patna, Bihar today. pic.twitter.com/gtMcAs7Yh5— CP Radhakrishnan (@CPR_VP) September 28, 2025Earlier in the day, Mr. Radhakrishnan was accorded a warm welcome at the Patna airport by the Governor and the Deputy CM.The international literary festival provided in-depth discussions on all aspects of India’s rich literary tradition, benefiting people from all languages, Mr. Aggarwal said.Given its success, Mr. Aggarwal said he was considering holding it annually. “The Ministry hopes to ensure that the new generation connects with books and literature in the future. The Prime Minister’s ‘Gyan Bharatam’, a major manuscript preservation project, will significantly contribute to preserving the development of scripts and languages in our country, and introducing them to the new generation through translation and publication,” Mr. Aggarwal said.The festival showcased a rare blend of all forms of literature and art, Mr. Kaushik said. He thanked the Ministry of Culture for the event’s success. Published - September 28, 2025 01:50 pm IST
