Aligarh: A two-day national seminar on ‘Folk Literature and Culture: Diverse Dimensions and Challenges’ was organised by the Department of Hindi at Aligarh Muslim University in the Faculty of Arts auditorium.

In his keynote address, renowned Hindi writer and former head of the Hindi Department at Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof Abdul Bismillah, mentioned that while much work has been done on folk literature, it lacks originality.

He argued that literary analysis is deficient within folk literature, which is often filled with folk songs. He highlighted that all the emotional elements described in Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra can be found in folk literature, citing examples such as Kajri, Ramlila, and Nautanki to demonstrate the importance of folk literature.

The seminar director, Prof Mohd Ashiq Ali, welcomed the participants and, in his opening address, emphasized that not enough attention is being given to folk culture today. He noted that the development of capitalist culture is distancing people from folk culture, which is not limited to rural areas but has expanded to cities as well. Through a Mewati folk tale, he explained how folk literature provides direction and motivates individuals to struggle.

Prof Mohd Rizwan Khan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, emphasized that folk literature is not confined to books. Its scope is vast, and the responsibility of preserving it lies with all languages. He cited references to pedagogical and research nature from English literature studies to inspire the students.

The seminar's coordinator, Prof Kamalnanda Jha, stated that folk literature is the only way to comprehensively study society. He pointed out that in folk epics, the folk hero often battles against feudal lords, and women are portrayed as courageous figures.

In his presidential address, Former Chairman of the Department of Hindi Prof Krishna Murari Mishra expressed concern over the lack of research on folk literature, stating that it is a matter of great concern. He stressed the need to go beyond books if folk literature is to thrive, warning that the extinction of folk languages is detrimental to its survival.

The program was conducted by Prof Shambhu Nath Tiwari, and the vote of thanks was delivered by Prof Iffat Asghar.