President to Inaugurate Lok Manthan

 Hyderabad: President Droupadi Murmu will be in the city to inaugurate `Lok Manthan — Bhagyanagar 2024’ on November 22, an event which will, among others, see members from the ethnic Pre-Abrahamic Romanian community perform Sun worship rituals, and Yazidis, who hail from Kurdistan and persecuted since the medieval ages, most recently by the Islamic State, present their traditional performance.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union minister for coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy will take part in the inaugural. The programme is intended to break divisions and build bridges between different people of Indian civilisation with their varied thought processes, traditions and systems.

An exhibition depicting the culture, tradition with special reference to the contributions of the Kakatiya and Vijayanagara empires and the Janapada culture will be inaugurated by former vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu on November 21. The exhibition will have pavilions from 10 states including Telangana on culture and heritage.

The organisers of Lok Manthan will exhibit 125 art forms. Malayalam film actress and Kuchipudi dancer Rachana Narayana Kutty will present ‘Kala Saukarshini Pravesh,’ based on Kashmiri Shaiva philosophy. Besides jugalbandi from Telangana artists, Armenian artists will present a musical programme on the same day.

Talking to Deccan Chronicle, J. Nanda Kumar, national convener of Pragna Pravah, said that the four-day conclave of national thinkers will have several technical sessions including Lok Jeevan Drishti, Lok Jeevan Mein Vignan, Lok Arth Shastra, Lok ki Sarva Samavesh Vyavastha, Lok Suraskhsa and Nyaay, among others.

“Lokmanthan Bhayanagar 2024 provides a unique platform for engagement and deliberation with eminent academicians, thinkers, philosophers, researchers, artists and activists. Through these discussions, the event seeks to establish a common understanding and approach to the divisive narratives prevalent in society. Ultimately, Lok Manthan aspires to evolve a discourse that strengthens the unity of Bharatiyas, embracing diversity as a cornerstone of the nation’s identity,” Nanda Kumar explained.