In ‘Vimarsh’, Dr. Chopra highlighted interrelationship between literature and journalism
Prayagraj: Literature and journalism serve to amplify voices that have been left behind or suppressed. Both are responsible for moving forward by accurately and appropriately documenting their time and society. Anyone who has worked to better understand the society, power, market, and people of their time has been a successful creator. This was stated by senior journalist and author Dr. Dhananjay Chopra. Dr. Chopra, who serves as course coordinator at the Center of Media Studies, Allahabad University, was speaking at a discussion program organized by the North Central Zone Cultural Center, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, on Saturday. The program was inaugurated by lighting a lamp with the keynote speaker, Center Director Sudesh Sharma, Deepak Sharma (Organization Minister, Kashi Province, Sanskar Bharati), Program Advisor Kalpana Sahay, and Dr. Pradeep Bhatnagar.
Dr. Chopra said that literary creation is about preserving the sounds of our times. In fact, our society is filled with numerous sounds—joy and sorrow, success and failure, pros and cons, riches and poverty—and the scenes associated with them, which are very close to all of us. Creators preserve these sounds and capture them in their work. He added that for today’s generation to connect with the creative world, it is essential to befriend books. To better understand our times and society, it is essential to read quality books. Responding to the host, Dr. Pradeep Bhatnagar, “What changes have occurred in the form and readership of literature in the digital age?”, he said that the very nature of reading has changed. Literature is no longer limited to books, but is also available in e-books, blogs, social media posts, and audio-video formats (podcasts, web literature). Writing has become more concise, quick, and visual.
Dr. Dhananjay Chopra, who has been involved in journalism, editing, and writing for over forty years, has published 17 books, 40 chapters, over 2,000 articles, over 100 research papers, and eight translated books. He has conducted research on the “History, Form, and Evaluation of Literary Awards” under the prestigious “K.K. Birla Fellowship” for journalists, and on “Birha Folk Songs, a Unique Medium of the Oral Tradition of Mass Communication,” under the “Senior Fellowship” of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Dr. Chopra has received the Rajbhasha Gaurav Award by the Home Ministry of the Government of India, Bharatendu Harishchandra Award by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Baburao Vishnu Paradkar Award and Dharamveer Bharti Award by Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow, Mahatma Gandhi Hindi Writing Award by the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, Laxmikant Verma Award for Journalism, Aprameya Samman for Literary Journalism, Natyashree by Allahabad Natya Sangh and Shatabdi Samman by Vigyan Parishad, Allahabad.
