Delhi Lit fest concludes with sessions on politics, cultural exploration

The third and final day of the Delhi Literature Festival-2025 at Bikaner House wrapped up on Sunday with a diverse and engaging line-up of sessions blending political discourse, cultural exploration and literary insight.

The day began with a no-holds-barred conversation titled ‘Unscripted, unapologetic, unfiltered’, featuring political commentator and author Anand Ranganathan in conversation with CNN’s Shivani Gupta. This was followed by a dynamic panel on ‘Rise of India’s new right: Democracy, diversity & intellectuality’ with Abhijit Majumdar, Balbir Punj, and Nalin Mehta, moderated by BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi.

After lunch, civil servant and author Mukul Kumar presented his book, ‘Catharsis’, in a session with journalist Teena Jha, followed by Nityananda Misra’s talk on his book, ‘Kumbha: The Traditionally Modern Mela’, delving into India’s cultural traditions. Vasudha Sahgal’s short story collection ‘Almost Perfect but Mostly Not’ was also discussed in an interactive session moderated by Henna Rakheja.

The festival concluded with celebrated author and activist Taslima Nasrin presenting her latest work, ‘Burning Roses in My Garden’. Speaking to the audience, Nasrin touched upon themes of exile, women’s rights and rising religious extremism. She called for greater societal reform and backed the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in India and Bangladesh.

“I love India. It feels like home,” she said. “Even after being thrown out of West Bengal, I found another home in Delhi. This country has given me a sense of belonging that my own could not.”

She condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, calling it another grim reminder of the ongoing threat of jihadist extremism. “Islamisation is in full swing,” she said. “Islam has not evolved in 1400 years. Until it evolves, terrorists will continue to be created in its name.”

Delhi