27th / 28th / 29th September 2019

www.pondylitfest.com

Venue: Shenbaga Convention Centre

“India is the Bharat Shakti, the living energy of a great spiritual conception, and fidelity to it is the very principle of her existence.”

It is with these words of Sri Aurobindo that the Pondy Lit Fest was conceived. From the beginning, we sought to create a platform that brought together people who wished to see India attain her full potential, and who did not shy away from expressing as much through their words and actions. In a sense, our lit fest changed the definition of literature festivals in India. No longer were they a gathering where the pessimistic elite pondered about the country’s backwardness and poverty. Here, we discussed the growth of India’s economic and military might, her increasingly important geopolitical role, and how we could reconcile her vibrant past with her bright future. Neither did we shy away from proclaiming that ours is the greatest civilization in the world, nor did we shy away from enunciating clearly what it is that makes it thus: Bharat Shakti, the living energy of a great spiritual conception.

The first edition of our festival was a roaring success. The foremost thinkers of the country were present, shedding light on various issues. What set our speakers apart was that they weren’t hollow have-beens, but men and women who were experts in their fields and had the clout to bring about large-scale change in India. Lawmakers, policymakers, historians, economists, journalists, filmmakers, scientists - most of them didn’t even need an introduction- that’s the quality of discourse that the Pondy Lit Fest brought about.

As we begin working towards a grander second edition, the signs that India is finally leaving behind the non-assertive mentality and the narrative of victimhood that had become synonymous with her, are all around us. But the challenges are starker than ever. As new India breaks one shackle after another and begins her inevitable rise, the second edition of the Pondy Lit Fest will attempt to serve as a platform for the architects of new India to share their thoughts about the challenges we face and how new India will overcome them.

BHARAT SHAKTI

CURATORS

Kanchan GuptaSenior Columnist,

Distinguished Fellow at ORF

Anand RanganathanProfessor, JNU

Alo SudDirector

Partha HariharanManaging Director

Ajit DattaDirector

Gayatri IyerDirector

ORGANISERS

INDOLOGUE

Media Partner

Social Media Partners

IN CONVERSATION

Dr. Anirban GangulyDirector at SPMRF,

author of Amit Shahand The March Of BJP

Shri Prasoon JoshiNoted Lyricist,

author of Thinking Aloud

INAUGURAL

Dr. Kiran BediHonourable Lt Governor

of Puducherry

Shri V. NarayanasamyHonourable Chief Minister

of Puducherry

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Shri Himanta Biswa SarmaHonourable Minister of Finance,

Health and P.W.D., Assam

Shri Arif Mohammed KhanHonourable Governor of Kerala

Shri Kanchan GuptaSenior Columnist,

Distinguished Fellow at ORF

Ram MadhavBJP General Secretary,

Governor, India Foundation

Speakers

AARTI SINGH TIKOOSenior Journalist

AASHISH CHANDORKARPublic Policy Analyst,author of The Fadnavis Years

ABHIJIT CHAVDATheoretical Physicist,Researcher of History

ABHIJIT IYER MITRASenior Fellow at the Institute ofPeace & Con�ict Studies

ABHIJIT MAJUMDERSenior Journalist AndPolitical Commentator

ABHINAV PRAKASHAssistant Professorat Delhi University, Columnist

ADITYA RAJ KAULJournalist Covering Internal Security,Con�ict and Foreign A�airs

ALOKE KUMARAssistant Professorat IISC Bengaluru

AMRITA BHINDERColumnist

ANKUR SINGHSocial Media Activist

ANURAAG SAXENACo-Founder of India Pride Project

ARAVINDANNEELAKANDANColumnist,co-author of Breaking India

ASHISH DHARFounder of UpWord and Pragyata

ASHUTOSH MUGLIKARColumnist

BAIJAYANT PANDABJP Vice-President,author of Lutyens Maverick

DEEP HALDARExecutive Editor at India Today,author of Blood Island

GAUTAM CHIKERMANEVP at ORF, author of 70 PoliciesThat Shaped India

GANESHLAKSHMINARYANANAuthor of Vaakaiadith Thedal andThaamiraparani Ennum Sinehithi

GAUTAM CHINTAMANIFilm Historian,author of Rajneeti

HARAN PRASANNAEditor at Valam Magazine

HARINI SRINIVASANAuthor of The Curse of Anuganga

HARSH GUPTAColumnist, Public Policy Expert

JUSTICE JAICHANDRENFormer Judgeat the Madras High Court

JATAAYUEditor at Valam Magazine, author ofKaalam Thorum Narasingham

KHALID B SHAHAssociate Fellowat ORF And Kashmir Expert

MALINI AWASTHIRenowned Folk Singer

MARYA SHAKILPolitical Editor at CNN News 18,Columnist

SHEFALI VAIDYAColumnist,author of Ghar Hindate Aakashi

LT. GEN. SATISH DUARetired Chiefof Integrated Defense Sta�,Planned & Executedthe Surgical Strikes

SANKRANT SANUAuthor ofThe English Medium Myth

SHUBHRASTHAColumnist, co-author ofThe Last Battle of Saraighat

Speakers

MEENAKSHI JAINNoted Historian,author of Flight of Deities

NAGARAJANTemple Rights Activist

NANDINI SENGUPTAJournalist andauthor of The King Withinand the Poisened Heart

NAVDEEP SINGHFormer Military Reservistand Lawyer,author of Maimed By The System

NUPUR J SHARMAEditor at OpIndia.com

PRADEEP BHANDARIPsephologist

PRAFULLA KETKAREditor at Organiser Magazine

PRASANNAVISHWANATHANCEO at Swarajya Magazine

PRASENJIT BASUEconomist, author of Asia Reborn

RAHUL PANDITASenior Journalist,author of Our Moon Has Blood Clots

NIKHIL SINGH RAJPUTTFilmmaker,Director of Blood Buddhas

NIRAJ RAIScientist

RAJAT SETHIPolitical commentator, author of The Last Battle of Saraighat

J SAI DEEPAKSenior Lawyer AndConstitutional Expert

SANDHYA JAINSenior Journalist and Columnist,author of J&K: Invisible Faultlines

SANDIP GHOSECorporate Leader, Columnist

SAI SWAROOPA AIYARAuthor of Draupadi

RAHUL ROUSHANFounder of OpIndia.com

RAJEEV SRINIVASANColumnist, Blogger andPublic A�airs Commentator

SANJEEV SANYALPrincipal Economic Advisor,Historian, author of Land OfThe Seven Rivers

SAMPADANANANDAMISHRADirector at SAFIC,author of Sri Aurobindo and Sanskrit

RAMACHANDRANNAGASWAMYDistinguished archaeologist,historian and epigraphist

RAGHAVANJAGANNATHANEditorial Directorat Swarajya Magazine,author of Jobs Crisis In India

Speakers

VIKRAM SAMPATHFounder of BLF,author of Savarkar- EchoesOf A Forgotten Past

VIKRAM SOODFormer R&AW Chief, Advisor at ORF,author of The Unending Game

VIVA KERMANIWriter And Environmentalist

YOGINI DESHPANDEChief Editor at Indic Today

SURJIT BHALLAEconomist, Psephologist,Cricket Bu�, author of Citizen Raj

SG SURYAHFounder of Kathir News andauthor of Yogi Orr Aanmiga Arasiyal

SUSHIL PANDITAdvertising Guru

SWAPAN DASGUPTAMember of Parliament,author of Awakening Bharat Mata

SWATI GOEL SHARMAJournalist at Swarajya Magazine

TAVLEEN SINGHSenior Journalist and Columnist,author of Durbar andIndia’s Broken Tryst

TUHIN SINHAPolitical commentator,author of Let the Reason Be Love

S VISHWANATHANWriter,Water and Sanitation Expert

SUNIL AMBEKARNational Organising Secretary, ABVP

S VENKATESHAuthor of Kalkoot

MA VENKATESANAuthor of Hindutva Ambedkar

MR VENKATESHColumnist andPolitical Commentator,author of Dr. Manmohan Singh-A Decade of Decay

SREEMOY TALUKDARSenior Editor at Firstpost.com

facebook.com/pondylitfest @pondylitfest pondylitfest@gmail.com

PERFORMING ARTISTES CULTURAL ADVISER

Dr. Dipankar Roy

SOMDUTTA SINGHSerial Entrepreneur

Raju Das Baul Avinash TripathiRina Das Baul