Litterateurs hold Toronto-based Marathi group responsible for scrapping of fourth Vishwa Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, call substitute meet 'entertainment programme'
After the scrapping of the 4th Vishwa Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (VMSS) that was to be held in Toronto from August 31 to September 2, the alternative literary meet organised by the Marathi Bhashik Mandal there has come under fire from the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal (ABMSM).
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Members of the ABMSM say the alternative meet ended up as just an entertainment programme and could not be called a real literary meet.
Lashing out: Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal president Usha Tambe (centre) with ABSM secretary Dr Ujjwala Mehendale and treasurer Prof Gurunath Dalvi at a meeting in the city. Pic/Vivek Sabnis
Usha Tambe, president of ABMSM, held the Toronto-based Marathi group solely responsible for the shelving of the VMSS. The Toronto-based group had planned the VMSS and then organised the alternative meet when the original programme fell through.
Tambe and her colleagues, who were in the city a couple of days ago, said the Toronto-based Maharashtrians made such a mess of the 4th VMSS planning that the event had to be scrapped.
“The alternative literary meet was just an entertainment show and a musical orchestra was conducted instead of any literary programme,” ABMSM member Kautikrao Thale-Patil said.
Tambe said professional singers and players of musical instrument from the city and Mumbai were invited to perform at the alternative Toronto meet.
Maharashtrians settled in Toronto conducted the alternate Marathi literary meet on the same days on which the VMSS was to be held, inviting litterateurs from California and other parts of the US for it.
Leena Deodhare, president of the Marathi Bhashik Mandal in Toronto, had made it clear the group would hold an alternative meet, and literary symposiums, talks and poetry readings were organised.
Fresh VMSS plans
Tambe and her colleagues have now announced the VMSS will be held elsewhere.
“We have been thinking over two invitations from Maharashtrian groups settled abroad,” Tambe said. The ABMSM president refused to name the country where the VMSS would now be held. “The fresh VMSS will take place in the present financial year,” she said.
Poet Dahake in US
The ABMSM said that veteran poet Vasant Abaji Dahake and writer Monika Gajendragadkar were in the US and had gone there on the tickets given by the Marathi Bhashik Mandal in Toronto.u00a0“We are not aware whether they both visited Toronto for the alternative literary meet or not,” Tambe said.u00a0
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