Agartala: Dec 25. The two-day Atal Poetry and Literature Festival 2025, along with the Atal Book Fair, was inaugurated on Thursday at the Vivekananda Sardhashatabarshiki Bhavan in Dharmanagar. Organised by the Information & Cultural Affairs Department, Government of Tripura, the festival has brought together around 250 poets and writers from Tripura and outside the state, turning Dharmanagar into a buzzing hub of literature and culture.
The festival, now in its third year, began its journey in Udaipur in 2023, moved to Kailashahar in 2024, and is being hosted in Dharmanagar this year. The event was formally inaugurated by Industries and Commerce Minister Santwana Chakma through the lighting of the ceremonial lamp.
Speaking to the media, Minister Chakma said earlier governments did not give adequate importance to literary and cultural activities, while the present BJP government is actively promoting literature and culture across the state. She also noted that this year marks the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
A major highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Lifetime Memory Award 2025 to Dr. Atul Debbarma, for translating literary works of former MLA and renowned writer Gita Gante into the Kokborok language.
After the inaugural programme, Minister Chakma officially opened the Atal Book Fair 2025 by cutting the ribbon. The book fair features 20–25 stalls from publishers within and outside the state, showcasing and selling a wide range of books.
The event is being presided over by North Tripura Zilla Sabhadhipati Arpana Nath. Other dignitaries present included Bagbassa MLA Jadav Lal Debnath, Dharmanagar Municipal Council Chairperson Mitali Rani Das Sen, Subrata Chakraborty, Vice Chairman of the State Cultural Advisory Committee, and social worker Kajal Kumar Das. Senior officials such as IAS officer Chandni Chandran, District Magistrate of North Tripura, and Manoj Kumar Saha, Joint Director of the Information & Cultural Affairs Department, were also present.
Overall, the Atal Poetry and Literature Festival has emerged as a vibrant meeting ground for poetry, literature, and culture in Dharmanagar—proof that books and ideas still slap harder than doom-scrolling.
