KATHMANDU, Nov 26: “Most people think Kamasutra is about sex positions. It is not. Kamasutra is about manners - it is about how to be good,” said eminent writer and thinker Gurcharan Das, speaking at the curtain raiser of the IME Nepal Literature Festival 2018. 

According to the press statement released by Bookworm Foundation, speaking on the basis of his latest book ‘Kama: The Riddle of Desire’, he further explained, “For example, Kamasutra tells us: Don’t talk to her about yourself, pay attention to her and give her importance. Think of her pleasure first.”   

His keynote speech was the highlight of the curtain raiser held by the organizer of the IME Nepal Literature Festival, Bookworm Foundation, which is happening in Pokhara on December 22 to 25. Another highlight of the event was a musical performance by popular artist Dharmendra Sewan. 

Welcoming the guests to the event, writer Shivani Singh Tharu, Member of the Festival Organizing Committee, said, “Modern Nepali literature started from the early 20th century. Since then we have come a long way, surviving the 30 years of authoritarian rule of the ‘panchayat system’. It is time that Nepali literature went international. But are we confident enough to take it to the international arena? I think we can, through events and celebrations like the Nepal Literature Festival.”

Suman Pokhrel, the CEO of IME group, sponsor of  the Festival, said, “IME group is honored to have got the opportunity to partner with the Nepal Literature Festival, which is turning out to be one of the most important literary events in the country. We hope to promote Nepali literature through our support to initiatives like this on art, literature, culture, and topical social issues.”

The Chief Guest of the program, the Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari thanked the IME group for sponsoring the Festival. “The Nepal Literature Festival has not only gained growing popularity in Nepal, but has established itself as a phenomenal literary event by its seventh edition,” he said. “Literature, as far as I understand, is closely connected to culture, lifestyle, belief, social norms and values. Prosperity of a nation is best realized with the richness of the arts, culture and literature as much as with the growth in per capita income and national economy.”

Talking at the program, Das said, “Ancient India had an answer to living a flourishing and meaningful life. The sages proposed three goals of life: Artha, Dharma, and Kama. Artha means material well-being. The second goal of Dharma is moral well being and ability to sleep soundly at night. The third goal is Kama, desire. I have explored these three goals in my trilogy. In ‘India Unbound’, I explored prosperity. In my second book, ‘The Difficulty of Being Good’, I explored the state of our own moral life and the moral life of the country.  In the third book, ‘Kama: The Riddle of Desire’, I explored Kama, desire and pleasure.”  

Dharmendar Sewan regaled the audience with hit numbers like ‘Resham Firiri’.