Bhubaneswar, April 2: The fourth annual foundation ceremony of the Sarat Kar and Anima Kar Foundation was celebrated with grandeur at the Red Cross Bhavan conference hall on the occasion of Utkal Dibasa. The event, marked by cultural and literary discussions, witnessed the presence of distinguished personalities from various fields.
Presided over by the Co-Chairman of the Foundation, Professor Suman Kar, the ceremony was inaugurated by the chief guest and Chairman of the Foundation, former Income Tax Commissioner Shobhan Kar. The Editor of Nirbhika magazine, Abni Chandra Das, set the tone of the event with a warm welcome speech, introducing the esteemed guests.
In his inaugural address, Shobhan Kar reflected on the foundation’s contributions over the past four years in education, literature, culture, agriculture, and livelihood across Odisha. He emphasized that the organization, established in honor of his parents, Sarat Kar and Anima Kar, has been working towards the betterment of society by promoting knowledge and cultural heritage.
The chief guest, Professor Vaishnav Charan Samal, enriched the audience by citing anecdotes from the Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata, shedding light on the deeper meanings of human life and morality.
As the keynote speaker, Manas Ranjan Mohapatra, former editor of the National Children's Literature Department of the National Book Trust of India, lauded the foundation’s initiatives aimed at societal transformation through literature and education.
Senior journalist and literary figure Bijay Kumar Mohanty from News 7 paid homage to Sarat Kar and emphasized the importance of consistently publishing and promoting the fearless magazine Nirbhika to uphold journalistic integrity.
Guest of honor, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Santali playwright Maheshwar Soren, spoke about the challenges in literature, highlighting the existing gap between writers, writing, and readers.
A key highlight of the event was the release of the Utkal Dibasa edition of Nirbhika magazine along with the launch of three books: Bhajana Mala by Batakrishna Swain, Bhala Manishara Swapna Dekhibu Dhana, a children's poetry book by Nabakishore Goswami, and 111 Sonnets by Alok Kumar Pradhan.
