Naidu Asks schools & varsities to make poetry reading part of curriculum

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on October 6, 2019, said that poetry can serve as a powerful catalyst to hasten the process of social transformation. Addressing the valedictory session of the 39^th World Congress of Poets (WCP) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Naidu said that poets have the capability to be influencers and opinion-makers and urged them to use their unique ability to shape people’s thoughts, feelings and attitudes to build a better world. Poets from different nations participated at the Conference.

Congratulating the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) & Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) for organising a confluence of talented poets, the Vice President said that he was deeply touched by the theme of the poetry conference– “Compassion through Poetry”. Observing that compassion was innate to all of us, he said, “We must realise this and practice it consciously till it becomes our habit and all our actions, subconsciously, exhibit compassion, kindness and positivity. ‘Compassion begets compassion.”

“oetry has a great impact on the inner chemistry of human emotions. How we perceive, how we respond and how we behave – all this is shaped by literature and fine arts to a large extent,”Naidu  added. He said that India’s tryst with poetry was as old as its civilization. He spoke of the great Indian epics Ramayana & Mahabharata and said that they were among the finest specimens of poetry ever written, celebrated world over for the grandeur of their themes, their extraordinary literary heights and the depth of messages they convey, according to a PIB release.

Emphasizing that it was crucial to promote arts and culture to build an enlightened and healthy society, he said “Arts nurture creativity in the society. Without a creative voice, a society will become stagnant. Artists enliven lives. They transform our lives and change our perception.”

Describing artists as the conscience keepers of a society, Naidu said that they constantly question the absurd and the illogical and help instil positive values in the society. “By sharing common cultural threads, art unites hearts. It brings out latent human characteristics to the force,” Naidu said. He urged schools to make poetry reading and appreciation a compulsory part of the curriculum. He also asked universities to encourage literature, arts and humanities education.”We need poets and writers and artists and singers as much as we need doctors, engineers and scientists,” he said. The Vice President said that the best way to preserve or promote any language was to use it extensively in everyday life.