Thiruvananthapuram: The inauguration of the 3rd edition of Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters was held at the Nishagandhi auditorium and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lit the traditional lamp to officially declare open the fest.
The CM spoke about how voicing opinions is important in shaping society. He welcomed the editors of The Guardian, UK to visit literary festivals in Kerala so that their misconception about India can change.
Writer Susheila Nasta, who was the chief guest at the event, spoke about the importance of resistance in a world where more walls are being built whether they are digital or not.
Addressing the gathering, Mathrubhumi joint managing director M. V. Shreyams Kumar highlighted the theme of the event Shrinking spaces, transcending letters. He elaborated on how the society was confining itself and the freedom to voice opinion was being challenged. He said that MBIFL was an attempt to provide more space for freedom of expression.
Mathrubhumi joint managing editor P. V. Nidhish presented a memento to the CM as a token of appreciation from Mathrubhumi.
The Vote of Thanks was given by Unni Balakrishnan, chief of Mathrubhumi News.
