Bhubaneswar: Literature has always been a potent weapon for social change and has since long been guiding our society, said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a function here today.
Speaking at the eight edition of Odisha Literary Festival organized by the New Indian Express Group, Naveen said that literature has been the essence of social transformation and happiness.
The spark for major social changes across the globe has been ignited by revolutionary thinkers and writers. We all know how Voltaire and Rousseau had influenced the French revolution, Naveen said.
The CM said, “In Odisha, the Odia Mahabharat of Sarala Das was a transformative factor in the literary landscape of Odisha. Sarala Das simply adopted the language of the masses and made it mainstream literature. It connected people to literature and the great social traditions of that era”.