UAE Centre Of Literature And The Environment In India
India’s second biggest cultural gathering got off to a celebratory start here tonight with the UAE Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, setting it rolling as the Chief Guest.
The Kerala Literature Festival has 'Environment and Climate Change' as the focus theme for its 2020 edition, the raison d’etre for Dr. Al Zeyoudi’s attendance as Chief Guest. He is set to address the Festival again today as a solo speaker on the subject of his ministerial charge, namely, Environment and Climate Change.
On the stage, sharing a place of honour beside the UAE Minister, was the UAE Ambassador to India, Dr. Ahmed Al Banna. Prominently in attendance was a delegation of UAE officials and leading Indian businessmen from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The Festival was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, who recalled centuries-old relations between the UAE and Kerala, Calicut in particular. Kerala ministers and the state’s leading literary figures praised relations between the UAE and India, which have made big strides in the last five years.
Reputed writers from 14 nations are attending the Festival which began as an annual event in 2016 under the auspices of the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, named after Kerala’s first newspaper columnist in Malayalam and a doyen of publishing in India.
The Kerala Literature Festival is known as "festival on the beach" because its sessions are held on five stages on the sandy beaches of Calicut and 275,000 people are expected to attend the events during its four-day duration.
