Human-animal conflict, Telangana history, geopolitics in focus at Hyderabad Literary Festival

Hyderabad: The 16th edition of the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) began on Friday at Sattva Knowledge City, drawing large crowds on its opening day. The three-day festival, which runs until January 26, features parallel sessions across literature, history, journalism, geopolitics, science and the arts.

The festival was inaugurated by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma in the presence of Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary in the FAC of Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture.

Libraries as centres of thinking

At the inaugural ceremony, Governor Varma said libraries should function as centres of thinking, discussion and exchange of ideas, rather than remain only repositories of books.

He described HLF as an inclusive platform that encourages dialogue and cultural harmony.

Kailash Satyarthi released his book ‘Karuna: The Power of Compassion’ at the event. Speaking on the occasion, he called for the ‘globalisation of compassion’ and said compassion should be seen as a force for social change rather than a soft sentiment.

Jayesh Ranjan spoke about the growing scale of the festival and outlined plans to extend HLF’s engagement beyond the annual event through year-long literary and cultural programmes across Hyderabad.

Sessions on Telangana’s past and internet infrastructure

One of the early sessions, titled Trekking Through the Historical Tracks of Telangana, featured archaeologists Sriramoju Haragopal and Sumanaspati Reddy.

They spoke about geological formations and archaeological sites in the State that need preservation. Reddy referred to cave clusters in Mylaram and sites in the Kapilai area of Adilabad as evidence of ancient worship practices.

In another session, ‘Tangled Webs: The Internet’s Infrastructure’, journalist Samanth Subramaniam discussed how global internet cable networks are largely controlled by major technology companies.

He said firms such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta dominate cable-laying infrastructure, with governments playing a limited role. Drawing on his reporting trips to countries including Tonga, Taiwan and Singapore, he argued that this raises geopolitical concerns, particularly for regions like Taiwan.

Human-animal conflict and media practices

Behavioural ecologist Anindita Badra addressed urban human–animal conflict in a session titled ‘Animal Matters: Observing Behaviour’.

She said unregulated feeding of dogs in cities disrupts natural behaviour and can worsen conflict. Her remarks came in the backdrop of recent reports of stray dog killings in Telangana villages.

Journalists Dhanya Rajendran and Pamela Philipose participated in a panel titled ‘Freedom, Control and The News’, where they discussed how independent media organisations operate and how their editorial challenges differ from those of mainstream media.

Geopolitics and Gaza

In a post-lunch session titled Prioritising Palestine, journalist Stanly Johny and author Sarah Zia spoke about the historical roots of the Israel–Palestine conflict.

Zia said she began writing Letters from Gaza in November 2023, during a period when violence in Gaza was being witnessed globally through social media. She said people were confronted daily with images and videos that were difficult to avoid.

Crowds, bookstore and cultural performances

The venue saw steady footfall throughout the day, with attendees moving between sessions.

A bookstore set up at the festival drew readers of all age groups. Telangana Tourism also hosted a stall displaying photographs of historical and cultural landmarks, along with a ‘wishlist wall’ where visitors could name places in the State they hoped to visit.

The day concluded with a musical performance by Aabha Hanjura, accompanied by a six-member band from Kashmir.

Festival programme ahead

Organisers said this year’s edition features 15 parallel streams, with talks, workshops, storytelling sessions and cultural demonstrations. Kashmir is the region in focus, with cinema, literature, exhibitions and performances highlighting the Valley’s creative voices.

The festival will continue on January 25 and 26 with further discussions and cultural events.