Novelist, playwright and scriptwriter Asghar Wajahat

metaphorically deconstructed how the changing economic scenario had encroached over the space for literary discussions and activism. "There was a tea shop in the city, which was then metamorphosed into a coffee house where writers did gather to discuss the issues. But eventually that was closed and ready made garment showroom was opened in that shop. "When we had started people were concerned about art and society. But concerns have changed today. Things that were essential then are totally irrelevant today," said Wajahat. Discussing paradigm shift in the writings, Asghar concluded, "We thought something would soon happen and society would become better. Hope was the theme and realm of those days writings. But today despair is the theme of all our writings." "Rate of publishing is quite high today. But the vigour in the writing is missing," Asghar added. Hindi writer Rama Pandey, however, said that the biggest irony of Hindi literature was that it had lost its readership during the last two to three decades . Earlier, a fiction-thriller work "RIP: The Resurgent Indian Patriots" authored by Singapore based writer Mukul Deva was unveiled during the "Book Reading Session". Deva said although the work was a fiction-thriller, he had constructed the storyline of "RIP" on the contemporary political issue of corruption that had thrown the all major political parties in the eye of political storm and had led the nationwide anti-corruption movement. Asked whether he had tried to obliquely target any particular family active in Indian political arena, Deva said that the book was entirely a fiction work. "I have told the story the way Indian political scenario is opening up. I did not target any one political family of individual but a political problem," said Deva, who has so far written eleven books, including popular "Lashkar" series, which was based on the issue of terrorism. Whether any of his books soon going to transform into motion pictures, Deva added that rights of "Laskhar" series had been sold off and he had already got two offers for "RIP". "However, we have held offers for 'RIP' back owing to some technical reasons.