Kalam: An initiative to present Hindi writers to the world
As part of the UK- India Year of Culture, the popular Hindi literary event Kalam is running a series of events in the UK. Kalam is an initiative of Prabha Khaitan Foundation, a Kolkata- based NGO engaged in various social welfare activities and promotion of Indian culture. Kalam series in London is also in association with UK Hindi Samiti, Vani Foundation, Quilon Taj Hotel and British Council.
The aim of the London series is to help introduce global audiences to outstanding Hindi writers who are popular in India but may have not yet received the international attention they deserve. The first series was with prominent Hindi poet Leeladhar Jagoori on November 19 and the second series was held on March 25, with renowned ghazal poet Rajesh Reddy.
Kalam London third series was held at Quilon Taj Hotel in St James’ Park, Westminster on June 3 and guest author Neelima Dalmia Adhar graced the event, while Dr Padmesh Gupta, founder of UK Hindi Samiti gave the welcome address. Senior journalist and former deputy head of BBC Hindi Service London Vijay Rana was in conversation with the author and talked about her book The Secret Diary of Kasturba. They engaged in an intense intellectual discussion and the conversation unfolded many aspects of Gandhi’s personal and family life.
She said “I have not demolished Gandhi; I have humanised Gandhi” and she believes that “Had Kasturba not been Gandhi’s wife, he could never have been Mahatma!”
Neelima has been inculcated profusely by her mother with a passion for both the spoken and written word and divides her time between writing and pursuing her interest in poetry, philosophy and the paranormal. Her writings have earned for her the tag of agent provocateur and perhaps, one of India’s most fearless authors.
A passionate “people- watcher”, she is drawn to oddities and thrives on writing about personalities and human behaviour, from the quirky to the mysterious, to the bizarre, a subject that she does chillingly close to the bone.
Among those attended the event were Virendra Sharma member of Parliament in the UK, and number of writers, poets, journalists and dignitaries from the UK such as writer Divya Mathur, journalist Shikha Varshney, Mira Kaushik OBE, Aruna Ajitasaria MBE, councillor Zakia Zubairi, Usha Raje, Shanno Agarwal, Kadambari Mehra, Prof. Shyam Manohar Pandey and others.