Speaking at the inaugural event of the Jashn-e-Adab poetry festival here, he said that by calling a spade a spade, poets, writers, and journalists do a great service to the society.
The minister also paid tribute to Indian classical singer Girija Devi, who passed away earlier this week.
"The ambassadors of India's rich culture, heritage, and arts makes it the strongest in the world. A part of that strong wall, Girija Devi left us recently.
The sixth edition of the poetry and literary festival began today at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
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"Artistes, poets, writers and journalists are the mirror of the society. And if the mirror is removed, we will never be able to know what is real.
"If these people were not there, we would become untamed. When a writer picks a pen and a poet comes to the mic, they put out everything truly that's in their hearts. You need the heart of a soldier to do that," the minister said.
The evening concluded with a Hindustani classical performance by Padma Bhushan awardee Chhannulal Mishra and a Sufi singing session by Ustaad Ahmed Hussain and Ustaad Mohd. Hussain.
The three-day festival will have panel discussions, poetry sessions, film screenings and 'mushairas'.
The event will be attended by actor-lyricist Piyush Mishra, actor M K Raina, poet-lyricist Irshad Kamil, poet Shamim Hanfi among other eminent personalities from the world of literature and cinema.