SAHARSA, April 2 -- Sahitya Akademi awardee, 2025, for his memoirs in Maithili called Dhatri Paat San Gaam, renowned writer Prof Mahendra is a worried man seeing the world sitting on explosives. He hopes literature will restore the glorious past to pave the way for a shining future. Prof Mahendra who was conferred Sahitya Akademi award 2025 on Tuesday at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, spoke to HT on phone and discussed importance of literature in finding peace in a society ravaged by conflicts. His memoirs are his reminiscences from childhood to the world of letters. He recalls how he used to discover the reasons for his father's sadness. "Whenever I found my father sad, I used to go to my mother to know the reasons for his sadness. My memoirs are a record of my search for father's sadness at the mother's lap, uncle's love and my wife's dedication," he said. He said that the two lines of a poem of Nagarjuna -- a renowned Hindi and Maithili writer -- i sowed the seeds of love of writing in him in 1955. "Today I can say that the two lines of Nagarjuna inspired me so much that I could write the memoirs which finally gave me an opportunity to get a place at the dais with a galaxy of writers," he said. Prof Mahendra who was born on January 6, 1947 in a village called Bhelahi in Supaul district. He did his PhD from the Patna University. Over a dozen students have so far completed their PhD under his supervision. Talking about the world sitting on explosives, Prof Mahendra said, "Whenever our literature gets weakened, such a situation emerges and we start losing our values." He however is optimistic that Indian civilisational values and India's role in the world would pave way for harmony and peace at a time when it violence is casting its dark shadow. "The world can find everlasting peace only in literature and we all must nurture literature not only in academic institutions but also in society," he said, while exhorting the people to come forward to restore the glorious past of India to build the edifice of a magnificent future. Prof Mahendra has written on various aspects and some of his works include Maithili Patta Par Await Chitthi, Dikpal, Pathantar. Besides, he has written stories, odes and ghazals reflecting the Kosi-Mithila culture. The Sahitya Akademi Award is given to outstanding literary works in Indian languages. Saharsa-based social activist Amit Anand who accompanied Prof Mahendra during Sahitya Akademi ceremony in New Delhi said, "This award will inspire young writers. We will hold a grand felicitation ceremony in the honour of Prof Mahendra in Saharsa."...