###National Seminar at MLSU Concludes with Profound Reflections on Indian Knowledge Tradition and Self-Realisation
Udaipur | The two-day National Seminar titled “National Consciousness in Hindi Literature”, jointly organised by the Department of Hindi, Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU), Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, and the Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi, concluded on Tuesday with deep intellectual deliberations on Indian philosophy, freedom movement memories, and the timeless Indian knowledge tradition.
On the final day, scholars linked nationalism with self-realisation, innovative research perspectives, education, and value-based upbringing, highlighting the role of literature in shaping collective consciousness.
Mewar: The Cradle of National Consciousness
The chief speaker of the valedictory session, noted litterateur and historian Dr. Shrikrishna Jugnu, underlined Mewar’s historic contribution to India’s national awakening. He revealed that the first organised poetic symposium (Kavi Sammelan) of India was held on the soil of Mewar under the patronage of Maharana Sajjan Singh.
Dr. Jugnu stated that Mewar has been a perennial source of inspiration for Hindi writers, whose works drew strength from Mewar’s spirit of freedom. He emphasised that the ideals of universalism and national consciousness have existed since ancient times in India’s Vedas and Puranas. Highlighting linguistic richness, he added that Rajasthani has contributed the largest number of words to Hindi, reinforcing cultural unity.
“India is a land of spiritual journeys—anyone who visits eventually absorbs the essence of Indian consciousness,” he remarked.
Rediscovering Archives and Cultural Roots
Special guest Dr. Basant Singh Solanki, Secretary of the Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi, urged scholars to turn towards Rajasthan’s rich archival heritage. He noted that countless manuscripts, copper plates, and ancient texts remain unexplored. Without serious engagement with this knowledge wealth, he cautioned, self-awareness and national consciousness remain incomplete.
From Self-Awareness to Nation-Building
Seminar coordinator Asha Pandey Ojha highlighted the importance of children’s literature as a bridge from self-awareness to national awareness. Citing poets such as Sohanlal Dwivedi and Nirankar Dev Sevak, she stressed that imparting values from the Ramayana and Mahabharata to children is a vital responsibility of writers.
Vice-Chancellor of Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Prof. S.S. Sarangdevot, speaking in the context of National Education Policy 2020, said that integrating national consciousness into education enables dialogue with the soul of the nation. He described writers as resilient visionaries, recalling Bharatendu Harishchandra, Premchand, and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar as guiding lights of society.
Literature as a Bridge Between Society and Nation
Regional Organising Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, Dr. Vipin Chandra Pathak, explained the organisation’s role as a bridge between literature and society, guided by the principle of “Parhit” (public welfare). He proposed six core cultural pillars for creative engagement—language, attire, devotion, philosophy, food, travel, and habitat—as the foundation of holistic national reflection.
Presiding over the session, Prof. Madan Singh Rathore, Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, described consciousness as an integrated continuum flowing from the individual to family, society, and finally the nation. He cited Maharana Pratap as an embodiment of this awareness, stressing that true consciousness shapes character and moral clarity.
Technical Sessions: Indian Wisdom Through Multiple Lenses
In the third technical session, Dr. Bhupendra Sharma analysed the eternal values of Indian knowledge tradition through the example of King Janaka, stating that the Vedas, Vedanta, and Yoga philosophy are not merely religious texts but pillars of Indian civilisation. He described the Gita as a universal scripture for human welfare and identified the Rigveda’s core as “human dharma”.
Writer Vishnu Sharma ‘Harihar’ linked literary consciousness with divine consciousness, citing Indian classical literature as the fountainhead of Hindi literature. Through references to Krishna–Sudama friendship, Maila Aanchal, and Mahadevi Verma’s poetry, he illustrated the journey from the individual to the collective.
Paying homage to Mewar, Jagjitendra Singh evoked the spirit of national consciousness through historical figures such as Panna Dhay, Hadi Rani, and Kirana Devi, while session chair Dr. Ravindra Upadhyay analysed Vibhishana’s character to place national interest above personal dilemmas.
In the fourth technical session, Dr. Neetu Parihar shared moving accounts of the Cellular Jail in the Andamans, recalling the inhuman suffering of freedom fighters. Dr. Mahesh Tiwari presented the multi-dimensional nature of national consciousness, encompassing historical, cultural, constitutional, and economic perspectives.
Prof. Chandrakanta Bansal, referencing Kabir, Makhanlal Chaturvedi, and Virendra Mishra, emphasised harmony and the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, advocating a journey from self-awareness to world consciousness. Session chair Pradeep Kumawat concluded with a philosophical insight, stating that Indian “Darshan” is not merely “philosophy” but deeply experiential wisdom.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Naveen Nandwana.
✨ The seminar reaffirmed that Indian knowledge tradition and national consciousness are not abstract ideas, but living values shaping society, education, and the future of the nation.
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