M’luru Lit Fest: ‘Gun and pen two powerful weapons’

Team Udayavani, Jan 20, 2024, 3:14 PM IST

Mangaluru: Three distinguished panelists at the Mangaluru Lit Festival engaged audiences with their remarkable transitions from military service to the realm of literature during a compelling discussion on ‘Creativity, Womanhood, and Uniform.’

Captain Sajita Nair, a seasoned author, underscored the dual power of weaponry, emphasizing, “One weapon is the gun, and the other is the pen.” Reflecting on her personal journey, Captain Nair shared, “Right now, in this stage of life, we have taken up a mightier weapon, which is a pen. I always loved to write but was never confident. When I was serving in the army, I used to write long letters to my family and friends since there were no mobile phones during that time. It was then that I realized my love for writing. Having served in the army, people were always curious about my experiences, and that gave me the idea to come up with a book.”

Captain Nair elaborated on her success story, revealing, “At the Kala Ghoda Open Book Pitch Contest in Mumbai, where we were allowed to pitch book ideas, I presented my concept. Hachette India embraced my idea, resulting in the creation of the book ‘She’s a Jolly Good Fellow.’ The book delves into the earlier struggles of female Indian army officers, offering a unique perspective on their challenges and triumphs. After the release of that book, I gained confidence in writing, and it followed.”

Lt Col Ankita Srivastava’s extraordinary journey from army to beauty pageant

Lt Col Ankita Srivastava who served for 14 years in the army as there was no permanent commission for female officers during that time shared her clandestine foray into writing during her college days, contributing to magazines without her father’s knowledge, who disapproved of her pursuit. She expressed her rebellious nature and love for expressing thoughts through poetry. Her serious venture into writing began during her tenure in the army, where she was tasked with composing army journals. However, the turning point in her writing career occurred after winning a beauty pageant. Desiring to chronicle her transition from a military environment to winning a beauty pageant, she penned the book ‘Olive Green to Beauty Queen,’ providing an honest account of her flaws and personal journey.

Maj Rama Sharma’s poetic prowess unveiled

Maj Rama revealed her early initiation into writing at the age of 10, participating in various extracurricular activities during school. Her penchant for reciting poems grew during her time in the army, where she would share her creations during station events. Although not inclined towards writing novels, Maj Rama released her first book last year, titled “Sharvya, Dwani Alfazonki,” meaning the musical tone. Sharvya is Maj Rama’s daughter.