Bengal famine sketches to feature in Kovalam Literary Fest

The Delhi edition of the Kovalam Literary Fest will showcase sketches from the Bengal famine series by Chittaprasad Bhattacharya along with master strokes from legendary artist M F Husain and others.

The Delhi Art Gallery is showcasing the works of Bhattacharya at the India International Centre for the Delhi leg of the festival here on September 29.

The KLF, which is in its fourth year, is for the first time holding a Delhi edition. The festival on October 1 and 2 would have writers from Pakistan and Israel, among others, participating.

The famine series by Bhattacharya, the pioneer of contemporary reality art from the Bengal school, draws its inspiration from the hunger and food shortage that swept through West Bengal during World War II in the 1940s.

The pen and ink sketches are figurative compositions of the hungry and ailing, foraging for food.

"The exhibition brings history, literature and art together. The Kovalam literary festival will be an ideal platform to pay tribute to one of the greatest political artists Bengal has ever thrown up. Chittaprasad's drawings shine in all their wretched, heart-rending and historic detail," says curator Kishore Singh.

The famine series by the painter is based on his tour of Midnapore during 1943-44.

In 1943 and 1944, Bhattacharya, who was inducted into the Communist Party of India by party secretary P C Joshi, was sent to cover the Bengal famine.

Bhattacharya travelled extensively through the famine-impacted areas, drawing and writing about his experiences in the party paper, "People's War."

"It is going to be a rare chance for the art lovers of Kerala to savour the mastery of India's most celebrated painter Husain as he is missed more deeply  by Indians after his demise," says DAG curator Singh.

Landscapes by Haren Das, acknowledged by his peers as the finest printmaker of the last century, powerful images of Jyoti Bhatt, figurative works of rural Andhra Pradesh by Laxma Goud, and intellectually engrossing prints by Anupam Sud will also add to the rich platter on display and sale.

At the Delhi leg, two best known literary figures from Israel, short story writer Savyon Liebrecht and playwright Motti Lerner, would be participating.

Another highlight of the festival will be the presence of Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, who will be reading out from his new novel, "Our Lady of Alice Bhatti".

The festival will also see the launch of three books – a book on tigers of Dudwa National Park by Ashok Kumar, Anita Nair's collection of poems "Malabar Minds" and Suresh Menon's biography "Bishan" on former Indian cricket captain and legendry spinner Bishan Singh Bedi.