New Delhi: The fourth day of the Jaipur Literature Festival, presented by Vedanta, continued its tradition of rigorous debate and wide-ranging conversations, bringing together leading voices from literature, politics, law, and technology to reflect on power, justice, leadership, and the stories that shape our world.
Earlier, on day 3, a much-awaited session with comedian and actor, Vir Das, drew packed audiences with a profound conversation on grief. Das described grief as an inability to breathe fully, explaining how loss reshapes the body and spirit when someone who once lived outside you begins to live within you. He also shared a powerful memory from the night he won an Emmy when standing an Emmy in hand, he had reflected on his incredible journey from being a dishwasher in Chicago to receiving one of the highest honours in entertainment.
Acclaimed novelist Richard Flanagan was in conversation with Tim Adams in a thought-provoking examination of the moral urgency of literature in an era defined by ecological collapse, political turbulence, and contested histories. Flanagan reflected on the writer’s responsibility to bear witness and to challenge complacency through storytelling.
Flanagan’s book links personal history with global events through an inventive mix of memory, science, and history. He examined how individual lives are shaped by the past and the narratives we build around it. Flanagan also spoke about the idea of memory and quipped that memory is not always an act of testimony, but an act of creation.
In A Continent in Crisis: Russia, Ukraine and the European Story, former Polish Foreign Minister Rados?aw Sikorski joined Navtej Sarna for a sharp analysis of Europe’s political fault lines. The discussion addressed the war in Ukraine, Russia’s geopolitical ambitions, and the future of European unity and global security.
Ireland’s former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar appeared in Speaking My Mind, in conversation with Georgina Godwin. Introduced by Kevin Kelly and supported by the Embassy of Ireland in India and Culture Ireland, the session offered candid insights into public life, political leadership, and the personal convictions that shape decision-making in government.
One of the day’s most significant conversations was Ideas of Justice, featuring Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, former Chief Justice of India, in dialogue with Vir Sanghvi. Justice Chandrachud spoke on constitutional morality, judicial independence, and the evolving meaning of justice in a diverse and democratic society. Drawing from his book, Why the Constitution Matters, the discussion explored what justice truly means in a constitutional democracy. Justice Chandrachud stressed that justice is not abstract but lived, rooted in transparency, fairness, and accountability. He described the Constitution as the “common stone” holding society together, highlighting how courts have expanded it to include dignity, liberty, and the right to a speedy trial.
The future of the internet took centre stage in This Is For Everyone, presented by HPCL–Mittal Energy Limited, as Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, spoke with Georgina Godwin about digital rights, decentralisation, and the urgent need to protect the web as a public good.
Bringing a literary close to the day, The Murder Dialogue featured filmmaker and actor Anirban Bhattacharyya and writer Rudraneil Sengupta in conversation with Amrita Mahale, exploring crime fiction, cinematic storytelling, and the moral complexities that lie at the heart of the genre. Bhattacharyya discussed Swipe Right to Kill, tracing the journey of a young woman who cons hundreds of men through dating apps before committing murder. He described the book as less about shock than about greed, ambition, and the moment “the switch flips.” Sengupta spoke about his debut novel ‘The Beast Within,’ drawing on years of embedded reporting with the Delhi Police to examine the death of an underage domestic worker, deliberately centring a victim who would otherwise be forgotten.
As Day 4 drew to a close, the Jaipur Literature Festival once again underscored its role as a global forum for ideas where literature, politics, law, and technology converge to interrogate the present and imagine more just and inclusive futures. The final day of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival will feature conversations on likes of Alice Oswald: A Journey Through Words and Worlds: Alice Oswald in conversation with Jeet Thayil; Celebrating Manga and Graphic Novels: Yoshitoki ?ima, Ujan Dutta, and Abeer Kapoor in conversation with Radhika Jha, with translator Tomoko Kikuchi; The Legend of Kumarikandam: Anand Neelakantan in conversation with Mridula Ramesh and Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths: Janina Ramirez in conversation with Narayani Basu.
