Literary Programme In Conversation With Young Minds | Students of IIM Shillong

[00:00:09][music] Hello viewers, welcome once again to another enriching edition of our literary program in conversation with young minds. A program that celebrates the power of ideas, the power of words and of course that shapes the bright future minds of tomorrow. Well, today we are very privileged indeed and happy in fact uh that we have the students, the sharp, the bright, the dynamic students of one of the country's premier educational institution, management institution, the Indian Institute of Management Shalom that is IIM Shalom.

[00:00:52]Well, the IM are renowned to create to shape future leaders in business. But then we are here with a surprise because we have students here who are also avid readers very creative uh authors and writers and totally also involved in creative pursuits. So there you have it.

[00:01:14]This edition of the program will be very special. So be with us as I now go ahead and introduce our three participants from IM Shalon. To my immediate left is Abhinav Chri and beside him is Anni Ashok Kapadia and we are also being joined by Hardik Gupta. So very very warm round of welcome to each one of you to Dur Daran Migalia and thank you so much for your time the f fact that you found time in spite of your very very busy schedule I'm sure uh to come to our studio here. Thank you so much. Well uh the three of you have given a very brief introduction about you all as I always say to all the you know participants when they come can we have a better introduction of yours. So let's start with Abina.

[00:02:00]>> My name is Abhinav Chadri and when I I come from Kra city and as a child I did not have much experience and ways to communicate or express myself. So I started writing and that was one of the best feelings that I got as I was putting down every emotion that I was feeling and that is how I began my journey and got the opportunity to publish some of my pieces in an anthology called the silent love and then went on to publish a piece in my college magazine as well. So that was a very good journey that I've placed.

[00:02:35]>> Okay. I'm sure that you'll have many more beautiful journeys ahead of you.

[00:02:38]Thank you so much for introduction.

[00:02:39]Let's come to you next.

[00:02:42]>> Uh hello. Thank you so much for having us here. Uh my name is Ami Kapadia and I heal from Pune in Maharashtra. I am passionate about literature, debate, quizzing and uh in general arts as a whole. Um one of the biggest driving factors for me to write is understanding both myself and the world around me.

[00:03:04]>> Fantastic. Let's come to you Hardik.

[00:03:07]>> Hello. Uh as ma'am stated beyond the world of finance and marketing uh I have a literary site that I very well enjoy.

[00:03:15]I used to perform in open mics in indoor uh to a crowd of 400 plus people in uh local open mics and more and more than that I've also uh been featured on uh Akashwani radio and I used to uh write Hindi and English poetry as an expression and an outlet for my own thoughts and as a piece or a window to the world around me. Uh that is my literary self. Okay. Uh, wonderful. You know, I mean for many of us to see this side of you is a little bit surprising because generally the concept and everybody's thinking would be that management students only delves with you know other thing but humanities right but you are into literature you all read. My question to each one of you is that I know you all lead a very hectic uh academic life as long as you all are into this kind of uh you know uh academic pursuit when you'll find time really to read and uh to read because you all have to read and when also when you have the time to write let's start with you Abina when because you know often when we have been interacting the last few days messages would come late in the night to me >> so I was thinking maybe that's the time when you can actually set aside your books And yeah. So when do you have time to write?

[00:04:35]>> You are actually very correct. Like when we get the chance, we have finished with our studies, we have done with our lectures, we come back to our hostel dorms and then we start and take the book that we were reading yesterday.

[00:04:47]Okay. And then we continue try to make a like a monotony for reading because we have to make it a disciplinary thing not a thing that you only do when you feel motivated and it becomes a habit and you really feel that you are getting a lot back from that and every book teaches you something and that is what brings me back to reading again and reading right yeah uh and uh coming back to Ammy Ammy like you know as I said uh how how has literature shaped helped you to becoming what you are today also helped in your in your say in the course that you're following right now.

[00:05:25]So I would say that people think of management as just a set of functions but at the end of the day management is about people.

[00:05:34]>> Literature is one of the greatest ways to understand people and to understand the world uh how it works, what people's motivations are, how you can facilitate change and literature is a great driving force towards all of those things.

[00:05:51]>> Yeah. and and and hardik have you been influenced by any authors any writers passionate about reading them especially >> yes ma'am ma'am uh the most important aspect of humanities is uh that it is also an individual uh like self-arning experience also a community aspect to it uh there is if like all of these books all of these uh mediums of expressions whether it be drama literature or anything else they serve as windows into their worlds and uh some worlds that I particularly like peeking into are Murakami uh and uh local Indian authors include uh Dip Prakash Dubai and more.

[00:06:32]talking about Indian authors, you know, I mean there is a vast treasure trove of Indian authors now who have done very well, exceedingly well yet we also have a lot of western authors who have already made their mark you know but when it comes to Indian authors, Indian writing uh you know I would just generally ask this question since uh you re do you think they have been able to be in that position like the western authors or is it unfair to really compare you know the two sets of authors you feel >> ma'am uh my take on it is that we are going through a reawakening of sorts right now >> uh there are Indian authors who are gaining prominence because for a large part of India >> uh our culture was uh a mix of both and we were also in a uh colonial hangover as well >> uh is what I think >> uh we were stuck to English we were stuck to uh like English as the major denom denominator that connected all languages. But now that India has regained its cultural identity, we see a lot of uh local and regional authors >> uh giving an expression or giving uh voice to their own languages, their cultures, their mediums >> and this has led to a vast variety of storytelling that had largely been unexpressed or suppressed to a certain extent. So seeing that reawakening right now I believe that uh my outlook towards the future is that we will be getting more of them in the future and we'll be getting more of our regional stories whether it be uh books like sanssar or whether it be Hindu mythology whether it be Amishi there are people who are uh retelling Indian stories in a manner that is more palatable to the modern world as well >> and relatable too right we can >> relatable to them as well and uh I believe I am very much optimistic big on where we are headed towards.

[00:08:27]>> Yeah. Amy, you would like to agree to that or you have something more to add to what you said?

[00:08:31]>> I would say that aside from just the cultural reawakening, there's also the aspect of new media.

[00:08:36]>> Traditional media for a long time has served as a gatekeeper of what was commercially viable.

[00:08:41]>> Whereas today, young authors, young poets are getting the chance to express themselves and put the their experience of the world, their experience of life as Indians in India with an Indian consciousness out there. and uh new media is allowing those voices to bubble up and for the people to choose what they would like to listen to. So I'm optimistic as well.

[00:09:04]>> And you know um Abinav uh uh they say that uh today's generation don't read much because they are all the time you know in their technologically aided tools and uh texts etc. Do you think that is again we are judging them a little too harshly because I have uh the three of you who are into reading too.

[00:09:25]>> Yes ma'am. And so my take would be that definitely the media shift has been very like apparent >> like people are consuming more content via video and audio and >> like reading has take like took a backseat >> but now it is like uh like said is now reawakening again and it is gaining the consciousness again that it it lost.

[00:09:49]>> Yes. And slowly and slowly the youth is also trying to figure out themselves via the books that interest them. Now there is no pattern that they have to follow and read specific books. They can go into libraries and find themselves into the books.

[00:10:04]>> Absolutely. And hard you know uh we have such fantastic uh folk tales and folk literature that can be retold and uh uh rewritten all over again making it more palatable with the generations of today.

[00:10:17]Right? because a lot of illustrations or illustrated books are happening where children can actually uh feel a lot of happiness while reading. In fact, there are a lot of children's uh content that is coming up too.

[00:10:29]>> Yes ma'am. Yeah, >> ma'am. Uh the thing that we study in our business schools as well is that uh the market will always uh meet at a benchmark where demand meets its supply.

[00:10:39]uh as tastes change, as uh people uh learn to consume content in a different way, it will be palleted to their uh own their specific uh choices, their uh tastes and their preferences. We have seen as Binav also said we've seen new content formats emerge whether it be audio books whether it be uh uh like dramas and plays that have been commercially and successfully formatted in a way that they're also fast-paced for a modern audience and they're uh easy and uh like easy to follow along for the general crowd as well.

[00:11:17]>> So I believe that we will uh look at the folktales that we have. We'll look at the folklores that we have in this way as well through this lens as well. As more of uh the world picks them up, as more of our own uh people pick them up, I believe these uh voices will also find their own uh tribe, their own crowd and they will be highlighted in the way that they do.

[00:11:38]>> So let's let's come back to your writing. Uh let's come to you Abina.

[00:11:42]What kind of works do you write? What is your focus really into?

[00:11:45]>> Yes ma'am. So basic uh my major uh segment is when I want to connect everything to the bigger theme which I think is love.

[00:11:55]>> Okay.

[00:11:55]>> At the end of the universe I think what remains is love and it can be love for anything and everything >> and the nature the people everything is connected via feeling which I think in the purest form is love. So most of my writings will contain that.

[00:12:13]>> Okay. So can we just hear what you have to can you share with us something?

[00:12:17]>> Yeah, definitely.

[00:12:20]>> So you you you'll call yourself a romantic.

[00:12:23]>> Yeah. Well, maybe.

[00:12:25]>> Okay, let's hear you.

[00:12:27]>> And so the name of the poem is curse of distance.

[00:12:30]>> So the love of mine is an immortal jellyfish besides me stands dedo on the shore and are falling drops of turmoil filled the seas. I knew I'd hurt and end myself with my story. Though lost the thermopile war, their name stands in glory. No horio to declare the distance of my disquite distress. My pain falls from the heavenly vault of tears. My miseries are autoconous and cure is when I leave them scars. Silence try to make me resilient, but loudness of hurting thoughts have layers. The petri winds are like featile to me, taking me to the labyrinth maze to play and later trapped I feel.

[00:13:09]The farm of my idea is now covered with the box of you. I tried everything to keep you close enough and make it through. The curse of distance will kill my dream. It will end my story with a distant scream. That will be from your side. I'll hear. I always wanted to be with you. You'll whisper in my ears.

[00:13:27]>> Fantastic. Okay. Thank you.

[00:13:28]>> Let's come to you Amy. What is it that you would like to share with us today?

[00:13:32]So generally I um write to understand myself and understand my history.

[00:13:41]>> So uh this is a piece about uh female relationships in your life.

[00:13:47]>> Okay.

[00:13:48]>> You cannot flip through my book effortlessly. There are no glossy pages gleaming with the promise of tales untold.

[00:13:55]No. My book has a spine creased and creaky that falls open to the same pages. The paper worn smooth with time.

[00:14:04]In many ways, my book is that of my mother and my grandmother before her.

[00:14:09]Many pass by and take a glance, but they do not see what strife has come before and the hope I must carry forward. But for every niggling increase, there are pages lovingly dogeared to turn back to again and again. Even as my pages crumble, they will leave behind the scent of biblical.

[00:14:27]>> Okay, let's come to you Hardik. what what is it that you write about specially and if you can share with us something.

[00:14:33]>> Yes ma'am ma'am as I said before I write in both Hindi and English. Uh the things that I write about are generally as I said a window into my own world.

[00:14:42]>> Uh my father has played a great influence on my work. So uh often as young people we uh think about how uh to figure out this world, how to live a good life, how to uh become or uh live a life that you are someone memorable or someone who is remembered. So on that sentiment I had written a poem on identity and more is Healing.

[00:15:21]Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.

[00:15:42]for Zindig.

[00:16:30]So so so beautiful and u the fact that you actually memorized it or it just flows out because you these are your words your thoughts.

[00:16:39]>> Yes ma'am.

[00:16:40]as I said before open you >> as a medium of self expression these are my thoughts these are the things that I've always felt and uh these are only words uh to express those feelings so uh I think after it it comes comes to you naturally as well >> ah very nice fantastic it was it had so much of depth so much of meaning right I mean I think it it it was relatable to all of us, right? We all have our struggles and our highs and lows and yet we have to move on in life.

[00:17:15]>> Yes.

[00:17:16]>> Uh now coming back to another aspect, you know, and that is how important it is to also you read it in your mother tongue or say Hindi.

[00:17:24]>> Yes.

[00:17:24]>> Um isn't it also important to express our thoughts in our own mother tongue too? Yes.

[00:17:29]>> That also should be pushed now. I mean increasingly as you said the colonial hangover is still there very much within all of us yet we are trying to push through that and you know the regional the local voices are getting heard. How important it is one to read you know your own language books of on your own language and also express it in in those language so that that also can be uplifted. Yes Abin you would like to share your thoughts.

[00:17:54]>> Definitely it is very important for everyone who is interested in knowing about their culture. The more you know about the culture, the more respect comes from your own heart and the more respect comes and you have to feel more connected towards your own people. So you can also not only just know, you can also do something about the struggles that your community faced or your region faced. So I think it is very important to know about all that thing.

[00:18:19]>> Yeah. Yeah. because that that is a push that we need to especially with the with the generations of today you know knowing English is very good but knowing other language is also equally important right Amy you would also like to share a thought what he said um I would like to say that um in general people tend to perceive uh regional media as either not relevant to urban life >> or otherwise as overly dactic >> um I grew grew up in Pune which has a rich culture of uh plays in regional languages especially Marathi.

[00:18:57]>> So I would just like to say that uh young people should explore the width of what there is.

[00:19:02]>> Exactly.

[00:19:03]>> And uh there's something for out there for everyone.

[00:19:06]>> Yeah. And you know Hardik or you know sometimes of course certain works are getting translated but do you think a translated work is has the same sweetness the same essence of it doesn't it rob so therefore it's so important to write in your own language as well >> ma'am uh I believe that the translation of works is something that is very essential uh to providing a new uh gateway into a world that has been unexplored before. For example, we see that uh Korean authors or Japanese authors have recently gained very like prominent fame in uh countries that were not even aware of Japanese or Korean cultures to that extent >> and they've been exposed to that culture through these translations. So while uh they might not carry that essence, they do provide you that entry into that entire new world that of new perspectives of new cultures and I believe that is an essential and that is a welcome thing.

[00:20:06]>> I would want uh to see Indian authors being translated the same way hopefully.

[00:20:10]>> Right. Absolutely. You know I have another question for each one of you and that is how do you balance your analytical thinking to creative thinking because the two is quite different from each other. So how do you bring that balance?

[00:20:22]>> As you grow and keep on writing and reading about every author, you also find a time when you eventually deep down think that you can also go more creative.

[00:20:35]>> And when you explore your side, you also think that analytical thinking is one side, but you have to be focusing more on the introspection part of your life.

[00:20:43]Yeah.

[00:20:44]>> The more you go back and learn about yourself in times when there is complete silence, you gain that back.

[00:20:51]>> Absolutely. It keeps you grounded. You feel you find yourself because often in the maze of all the activities and all the technology and all halalu that we have to go through, we lose ourselves, right? And that's when we wonder where we are. I mean, what would be be your thought? How how does writing you know just being with your pen and paper with yourself helps you be the person you are helps you to be grounded more?

[00:21:16]>> I would say that today we exist in an attention economy. uh everyone is vying for clicks, everyone is vying for TRPs, right?

[00:21:24]>> And in that stepping back from that and taking the time to reflect and um essentially to figure out what matters to you, >> um even if you don't write for the beauty of the language, even if you don't write to convey something to others, you can write to process things yourself. And uh that to me is the beauty of writing. No one if no one reads a page of what I write that's fine by me.

[00:21:57]>> But to know that what was in my mind is out there. And to get that cathosis and that clarity is what matters most to me.

[00:22:04]>> Because you know often when I bring younger uh you know uh participants here they have told me that there is somebody out there who is non-judgmental who doesn't judge them because the world around us is full of judgmental people.

[00:22:16]Right? Whatever you do, however good you are, they would all always do that. But here you have somebody with yourself who helps you just to be the person you are, right? Hardik, you would you would also think that way.

[00:22:29]>> Most definitely. And uh the best companion is a book and a bed, >> right?

[00:22:34]>> Uh these words were like reverberated through uh many halls before and they will be done so afterwards as well.

[00:22:43]>> There is a reason why therapists often recommend journaling. uh as an expression of uh their own self as an expression for people to meet themselves to look into their own thoughts and to uh look at your own life from a bird's eye view and understand what actually is going on uh what is going on in your mind what you actually want to do and I believe there is no better way but but to sit with yourself to sit with your book to sit with your pen and just read and write and >> uh think things through.

[00:23:12]>> Yeah, absolutely. I think these words are so important for other youngsters who are watching this program because you know they can find themselves and find so much of clarity. You know we are almost coming towards the end of this program. I wish this was much a longer program but then as we are almost drawing to a close of this uh you know uh this is a question for the general public. How grueling is to study in the IIA? How difficult or how really you know what takes to become a management graduate eventually? How much of it are you like how much time how much involvement does it really take? My take on that would be that you have to be focused and disciplined first of all >> and then you have to manage everything like you come from a you are study management. So first thing you have to learn is managing the time >> because that builds the base for everything. If you are very good at managing time, you will be able to do many things at at once >> and that will give you confidence to do much more things.

[00:24:16]>> Yes. Yeah. You know because we we generally have this that these people don't sleep I guess for two three days.

[00:24:21]That's what we heard. Is it true?

[00:24:23]Uh while there are busy days, uh I would say that in general and it's not just to me it's not just about discipline, it's about finding a way to fall in love with what you do.

[00:24:34]>> When that's there, it like the long nights don't feel as long, the assignments don't feel as rigorous, and when you're sitting with your friends with a cup of chai after like just finishing something cha.

[00:24:50]>> Yes.

[00:24:52]Uh that's the most fulfilling part of it >> and if you're passionate about anything you go for it come what may right I mean it doesn't feel >> uh we are running out of time but I would like to hear something short once again from each one of you let's start from you Abina thank you ma'am uh this is a short poem uh called the three dreamers in reality the tale of three fine men by birth they were best friends to protect to enjoy they like a convoy they all had a dream just to just as Barton to climb up the sky with six hands together held him. Adventurous in calm and unity in arms planner planned a tour to rift to reach beyond the limits alarmed. More than brothers, they carried a vision to explore the dream kingdom by breaking the prison. Soul of three was to free in that height.

[00:25:41]Blinded by dreams, they enlightened the sight. Starting the journey, they felt amazed. Everything was shallow. When down they gazed.

[00:25:50]They reached the destiny with thoughts of love. They stole the happiness from gods above.

[00:25:55]>> Fantastic. Okay. Am I something short you would like to share? Once again, >> microtrans raise questions about the durability of identity. If someone embraces indie sleeves in one month and clean girl in the next, what happens to the notion of stable taste or personality? These shifts reflect broader cultural anxieties about authenticity.

[00:26:16]is choosing an aesthetic self-expression or merely self- commodification.

[00:26:20]I believe a critical part of what drove Jenzie towards engaging so heavily with aesthetics and appearance was the CO9 pandemic. At a formative time when they would be experimenting with their style and beginning to solidify their identities in high school or college, many young adults were stuck in their room in their pajamas making or scrolling through reals. Is it any wonder then that they would seek out community and easily identifiable digestible visual [clears throat] signifi signifiers of identity? Is the only solution then to submit to consumerism and the subsuming of identity? I'd like to believe not my stop cap solution. Be careful with catchy social media hashtags.

[00:27:03]Remember that the end goals of the labels is to help the algorithm and that the end goal of the algorithm is to help social media companies make money.

[00:27:12]Uh while it's okay to buy stylistic clothing once in a while remind yourself that you're not style your substance.

[00:27:20]>> Fantastic. And yes with one of yours we would like to wind up. Tell us >> ma'am. Uh the only note that I want to end on is uh a positive one. I uh don't want to bombard with poems or uh like sayings. I just want to encourage everyone out there to read to write and to express themselves to the fullest extent. And I believe that there will always be things that you have uh to do at any point of time. Uh prioritize things, prioritize yourself and try to do the best that you can.

[00:27:52]That's a wonderful those are wonderful words that you've shared especially because I'm sure there are so many out there who will watch this program be inspired from you all that it doesn't matter what you do but as you as long as you do it with passion and with what you believe in I think that's what it all boils down to right thank you so much and I wish you tons of good luck in your coming academic sessions as well and I'm sure that you will bring more laurels uh not to yourselves alone but to the country to the nation at large. Thank you for your time. Abhinav uh Ammy as well as Hardik. I wish you once again all the very best in all your future endeavor as well as your creative writings as well.

[00:28:34]>> Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

[00:28:37]>> Well viewers, that's our three uh students from the Indian Institute of Management Shalom. Well, you've heard them, you've listened to them. I'm sure that you've enjoyed watching this program. Well, until next time when we are back with another set of such wonderful people to express their views and to share us their thoughts. Until next time from this platform here, we wish you goodbye.