Justice Dhananjay Y. Chandrachud and General Manoj Mukund Naravane with Ankur Warikoo at Vadodara Literature Fest 4.0

Day two of the Vadodara Literature Fest 4.0 at Parul University continued the momentum of meaningful discussions, which established the festival as a venue for knowledgeable debates about fundamental democratic principles, governmental practices and social matters. The day witnessed enthusiastic involvement from students, academicians, and citizens.

The second day was highlighted with a lineup of national leaders and intellectuals, such as Justice Dhananjay Y. Chandrachud, who served as the former Chief Justice of India, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the former Chief of the Army Staff of India, and Entrepreneur and Author Ankur Warikoo. The festival discussions achieved greater depth through their presence as they shared their professional knowledge of constitutional governance, national security and military leadership, which they developed through their service to the country.

  The keynote speech of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was devoted to the discussion of constitutional values and democratic thinking, and the Constitution as a living document that defends the principles of justice, equality, liberty, and ethical conduct in the institutions. The importance of the role of citizens and institutions in the maintenance of constitutional morality in a dynamic democracy was a key point in his speech. He said, "The Constitution gives you rights. But once you realise and accept that others have rights too, that's when you can create a perfect balance in society. We have the right to speech, but we should not exercise it in a way that generates hate towards other people's right to speech." He also added, "This is the nation of diversity. The true strength of India comes from its diversity. So, respect each other. Understand each other. Read diversely. Read beyond what is familiar, beyond what your understanding is. If you don't accept the ability of others to shock you, you will not evolve." Talking about literature and festivals such as VLF, he said, “Literature should not just entertain you or make you comfortable. It should shock you, challenge you, and make you think.”

 

General Manoj Naravane shared insights on leadership, discipline, and national service, drawing from his decades of experience in military command. He spoke about integrity and strategic vision, and resilience as essential leadership values, while he explained how strong institutions and shared responsibility work together to protect national security and maintain public trust. "Morally right thing will seem hard, but you need to take the harder right than the easier wrong,” was what he advised the audience. He further emphasised, "The Army is not the only democratic force that this nation has. You all who are sitting here and are out there, every one of you, contribute to the nation's security and democracy."

Entrepreneur and Author Ankur Warikoo spoke about what growth means in the digital age, how one should prefer consistency over perfection, and how real growth doesn’t come from performing or pretending, but from being honest about oneself. He added, “The people who truly grow on social media are the ones who are unapologetically themselves.” He also advised, “Losing is not important. Learning from the loss is important.”

The second day of Vadodara Literature fest 4.0 saw the audience depart with a rich array of knowledge on democracy, leadership and national service. The second day showed the commitment of the festival to hold the critical discussions that can propel the next steps of development and responsible discussion.

Note: The views expressed in this article are of Parul University and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.