Day 4 – 18 January 2026
Power, Justice, and the Architecture of the Present
Day 4 of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 turned its focus toward the structures that govern contemporary life—political power, justice, leadership, geopolitics, and the digital frameworks shaping public discourse. Set once again within the courtyards and halls of Hotel Clarks Amer, the conversations carried a sharpened urgency, reflecting a world increasingly defined by moral complexity and contested truths.
The EmpirePod Session_ How Empires Fall
The resonance of the previous evening remained palpable, particularly following a widely attended session with comedian and actor Vir Das, who spoke candidly about grief and transformation. Describing grief as a physical inability to breathe fully, Das reflected on how loss alters both body and spirit. He also shared a personal moment from the night he won an Emmy—standing with the award in hand and recalling his journey from washing dishes in Chicago to global recognition—framing success as something deeply intertwined with endurance and memory.
Literature as moral intervention emerged strongly in a session featuring acclaimed novelist Richard Flanagan in conversation with Tim Adams. Flanagan examined the role of the writer in a time marked by ecological collapse, political instability, and historical denial. Drawing from his work, he spoke about storytelling as an act of resistance—one that bears witness, confronts amnesia, and challenges complacency. Reflecting on memory, Flanagan observed that it is not always testimony, but often an act of creation shaped by both loss and longing.
Geopolitical realities took centre stage in A Continent in Crisis: Russia, Ukraine and the European Story, where former Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski joined Navtej Sarna. The conversation addressed the war in Ukraine, Russia’s strategic ambitions, and the fragile balance of European unity. The discussion moved beyond headlines, examining long-term consequences for global security, diplomacy, and democratic values.
Public leadership and personal conviction were explored in Speaking My Mind, featuring Ireland’s former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in conversation with Georgina Godwin. Introduced by Ambassador Kevin Kelly and supported by the Embassy of Ireland in India and Culture Ireland, the session offered candid reflections on governance, identity, and decision-making in public life. Varadkar spoke about navigating leadership under scrutiny and the quiet negotiations between private belief and public responsibility.
One of the day’s most anticipated sessions, Ideas of Justice, brought Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, former Chief Justice of India, into conversation with Vir Sanghvi. Drawing from his book Why the Constitution Matters, Justice Chandrachud spoke about constitutional morality, judicial independence, and justice as a lived experience rather than an abstract principle. He described the Constitution as the “common stone” holding society together, highlighting how its interpretation has expanded to include dignity, liberty, and access to justice.
The future of the internet came under thoughtful examination in This Is For Everyone, presented by HPCL–Mittal Energy Limited. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, spoke with Georgina Godwin about decentralisation, digital rights, and the need to protect the web as a public good. His reflections underscored the urgency of preserving openness and equity in an increasingly commercialised digital space.
The day concluded on a literary note with The Murder Dialogue, where filmmaker and actor Anirban Bhattacharyya and writer Rudraneil Sengupta, in conversation with Amrita Mahale, explored crime fiction and moral ambiguity. Bhattacharyya discussed Swipe Right to Kill as a study of greed and psychological rupture rather than shock, while Sengupta reflected on The Beast Within, drawing from years of police reporting to centre stories often excluded from mainstream narratives.
As Day 4 closed, the festival reaffirmed its role as a space where literature, law, politics, and technology intersect—not to simplify the present, but to interrogate it with clarity and courage.
