Nagpur: Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal are ready to submit their votes before the deadline (December 9) to elect the president for the 91st Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan . The literary meet is scheduled at Baroda in Gujarat in February next year.

The final five contestants have been travelling not just across Maharashtra, but also to other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Goa, Karnataka and others, in a bid to woo Marathi speaking population there.

Preservation and promotion of Marathi language seems to be a top priority for all of them. For people of Nagpur, it is going to be a tough decision to choose between native contestants Kishor Sanap and Ravindra Shobhane.

Sanap, who has written extensively on areas ranging from saint literature to modern topics, says he wants to undertake projects to make literary contribution of Marathi writers popular. “We blame the government for its failure to promote Marathi. However, the language’s ‘Acche din’ can only be brought about by Marathi speaking people,” he says.

Shobhane too wishes to enrich Marathi language and its literature. He says, “As a result of globalization, Marathi diction is on the verge of destruction, and along with it, our culture. The readership of Marathi literature has declined drastically now.”

He blames the Maharashtra government for neglect of the language, and adds, “I will demand more funds for literary organizations and will attempt to make Marathi compulsory for students until their graduation.”

Another contestant, Ravindra Gurjar states that areas around Maharashtra have no idea of what is going on in the state. “Contribution of writers from areas outside Maharashtra are also not known,” he says and adds that he aims to start a special project to bring these littérateurs in the limelight.

Gurjar’s initiative ‘Sahitya Setu’ has already connected five lakh Maharashtrians through technology and social media. “I plan to also bring information about Marathi literary organizations, their history, work and so on to lakhs of Marathi speaking people,” he says.

Laxmikant Deshmukh has written about a range of local, national and international issues, but the one issue that nags him is the state of Marathi and its reading culture. “The new generation is conversant in English but totally disconnected from Marathi. I want to explore how Marathi can become language of expression and employment for the youth. Having been a bureaucrat earlier, I know how the government machinery works and will try to use my experience to get support from the authorities,” he says.

An initiative ‘Aksharmanav’ was cofounded by Rajan Khan when he was only 15. Today, the NGO works in many sectors from art to farming. Khan, who has also got published 60 books, said that he aims to solve society’s problems and bring peace. “I plan to promote all languages of India to bring them out of the dull phase they have been enduring. Publication and promotion of works by upcoming Marathi writers, establishing proof reading departments, and expanding the horizon of social work that I am already doing would be my priorities,” he said.

THE FINAL FIVE

Ravindra Gurjar | 71

MA in archeological science, professor at Deccan College in Pune for last eight years, writer and author

Ravindra Shobhane | 58

Short story writer from Nagpur; PhD in Marathi and professor at Dhanwate National College. Published 27 books

Kishor Sanap | 61

A scholar of saint literature from Akola. PhD on ‘Progressive writers’, expert and critic

Rajan Khan

Pune based writer has several novels and short stories to his credit. Recipient of Maharashtra Govt’s screenplay writer award for the movie 2009 movie ‘Dhudgus’

Laxmikant Deshmukh | 63

Hails from Osmanabad, now based in Pune. MA in public policy. The former bureaucrat has also done course in international policy

KEY DATES

Last day for votes to reach Mahamandal, Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh, Sitabuldi | December 9

Result | December 10

Sammelan Place and Dates | Baroda, Gujarat), February 16,17,18

