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RESOUNDING OF PEACE AND LIVING TRADITIONS
The Second Day of the Thinkers’ and Writers’ Peace Meet
and International Book Festival in Kolkata
The second day of the Thinkers’ and Writers’ Peace Meet and International Book Festival, organised by International Society for Intercultural Studies and Research (ISISAR) from 1 to 3 March 2026 at Rotary Sadan, presented as an expansive panorama of literature, philosophy, music, dance, and intercultural dialogue. Set in the vibrant heart of Kolkata, the day was marked by intellectual depth in the afternoon sessions and an emotionally stirring confluence of awards and cultural performances in the evening, embodying the central theme of literature for resilience, hope, and social harmony.
The morning and early afternoon carried forward the academic spirit of the festival, with parallel literary sessions taking place across multiple halls. In Hall 1, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, the ISISAR–Sabdaharin Literary Session featured book discussions and poetry readings under the coordination of Satyapriya Mukhopachyay and Somnath Roy. Distinguished guests included Vietnamese poets Võ Thị Như Mai, Duy Pham, and Hong Hanh, alongside Christine Chen, creating a multilingual and multicultural exchange that reflected the global reach of contemporary literature. The dialogue was layered with reflections on identity, memory, translation, and the responsibility of writers in turbulent times, allowing voices from Southeast Asia and beyond to converse with Indian literary traditions in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Simultaneously, Hall 2 hosted the ISISAR–Virasat Literary Session from 3:00 to 5:30 PM, coordinated by Rituparna Khan. The session brought together an extraordinary panel of international guests, including Egyptian poet Ahmad Al Shahawy, Sara Hamid Hawas, Aminur Rahman, and Alexandra Nicod. The discussions navigated themes of heritage, exile, spiritual longing, and poetic resistance, affirming literature as both witness and bridge. The session resonated with the festival’s guiding vision: that words, when shared across borders, become instruments of peace.
In Hall 3, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, the Kolkata Translators Forum convened under the coordination of Shyamal Bhattacharya. This gathering emphasized the vital role of translation in sustaining intercultural dialogue. Among the eminent guests were Padma Shri awardee and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Sahitya Akademi Awardee Shri Kamal Vora, and Joba Murmu, alongside Garry James, Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, Padmaja Iyengar (“Paddy”), and Muniam Alfaker. The session underscored translation not merely as linguistic transfer but as ethical listening, as a form of hospitality that allows literature to travel while preserving its soul. Conversations revolved around fidelity and freedom in translation, the politics of language, and the transformative power of rendering local voices into global conversations.
As the afternoon sessions concluded, the focus gradually shifted toward the evening’s central programme: the Award Ceremony and Cultural Programme from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Yesterday’s cultural evening had already set a vibrant and soulful tone, beginning organically with a guitar recital by an artist deputed by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation under the Government of Assam Tourism Department, followed by songs from invited singers from Vietnam, Hong Hanh (The Smoke Rising in the Afternoon) and Duy Pham (My Mother Returns Her Memory into Nothingness) and a moving integrated presentation of dance, poetry, and music by students of Women’s Christian College. The awards ceremony had formed the heart of that gathering, culminating in a spiritually vibrant performance on the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, and concluding with traditional Bihu and Sefali dances by the Assam troupe. The spontaneous anchoring and fluid structure had lent the evening an authenticity that many attendees described as unforgettable.
Building upon that momentum, the second evening welcomed very special guests from the Department of Culture and Tourism, Government of Assam. The presence of Mr. Danny Gam, Tourism Officer of the Assam Government, symbolised the state’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and artistic exchange. His participation highlighted Assam’s deep cultural reservoirs and its openness to sharing them with the wider world.
A moment of pride followed with the welcome of Ms. Susmita Sonowal, a distinguished Bihu dancer and titleholder of Bor Bihuwati from Assam. A trained Bihu dance teacher and former member of Bihu Surakhya Sameeti, she has conducted workshops across Assam and nurtured students both in Assam and Kolkata. Her participation in the television reality show “Bihuwati Buwari” (Season 1) on NB News further expanded her recognition. Through her artistry, the rhythmic vitality of Bihu with its celebration of agrarian cycles, youth, and community came alive on stage, reminding the audience that folk traditions are living energies rather than museum relics.
Before introducing the next guest, the audience was offered an insightful contextual reflection on Sattriya culture, which originated in the 15th century as a Neo-Vaishnavite tradition centered around the Satras and founded by the saint and reformer Srimanta Sankardev. His creations, encompassing music, dance, drama, Naam-Kirtan, Bhaona, and Borgeet, shaped the spiritual and cultural life of Assam and continue to influence generations. Sattriya, now recognized as one of the classical dance forms of India, is known for its grace, devotion, and expressive storytelling rooted in bhakti.
Guest performer Anuska Singh Boraik, who received her initial training under the respected Guru Shri Nabadeva Krishnahankar Bharati, offered her heartfelt respect to Shri Shri Srimanta Sankardev and Shri Shri Madhavdeva before presenting expressions from the Borgeet “Keli Kore,” composed by Sankardev himself. Her performance was not merely artistic but devotional, an embodiment of a tradition where dance becomes prayer and gesture becomes scripture.
The musical segment “Moghai Bule Dhulor Maat,” rendered by Abhipriya Goswami, carried forward Assam’s message of unity. Originally sung by Loknath Goswami, the timeless piece reflects the idea that beyond caste, tribe, language, attire, or custom, people are bound by shared humanity. Its lyrics affirm that diversity enriches rather than divides. In the context of an international peace meet, the song resonated deeply, echoing the festival’s core conviction that harmony is not the erasure of difference but its celebration.
The programme also featured a thoughtful presentation by Women’s College Calcutta on the theme of peace and social harmony, led by Prof. Archita Seal. Drawing upon the teachings of Gautama Buddha, she highlighted the transformative power of mindfulness, inner peace, and mastery of the mind. The guiding reflections, “What we think, we become” and “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without”, invited participants to look inward even as they engaged outwardly with the world. The philosophical grounding provided by Buddhist wisdom created a contemplative counterpoint to the evening’s vibrant performances.
The awards ceremony formed the emotional axis of the night. The Special Award “Icon of Timeless Tradition” was presented to Bitasta Ghosal of Bhasha Samsad and to Ahmad Al Shahawy of Egypt, recognizing their enduring contributions to literary heritage. The “Triumph of Will: Award for Extraordinary Journey” honoured Parthasarathi Sahu for his inspiring life path. The “Seeds of Change Award for Knowledge and Compassion” was conferred upon Prof. Anupama Chowdhury, acknowledging her intellectual and humanitarian impact. ISISAR’s Literature for Peace Award 2026 was presented to Syed Kawsar Jamal of India and Muniam Alfaker of Denmark, affirming literature as a vehicle for reconciliation. The G.D. Hati Memorial Award 2026 honoured Padma Shri Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra, while the Bimala Majee Centenary Award 2026 was presented to Smt. Anita Agnihotri by Sri Biplab Majee, commemorating a legacy of literary excellence and service.
In addition, all featured guests, international delegates, and honoured participants were formally recognised with special awards, commemorative presents, and words of deep appreciation that acknowledged not only their literary accomplishments but also their commitment to intercultural dialogue and peace-building. In a meaningful gesture of global solidarity, International Society for Intercultural Studies and Research was itself honoured with a Certificate of Excellence presented by Multicultural Press Australia and The Rhythm of Vietnam, recognising its sustained contribution to international cultural exchange and literary harmony. These two platforms also conferred special acknowledgements upon selected translators for their outstanding work in bridging languages and cultures, reaffirming that translation remains one of the most powerful instruments for nurturing understanding across nations.
The entire cultural presentation unfolded like a living mosaic of colour, rhythm, and meaning, astonishing in both its visual splendour and its spiritual depth. The stage shimmered with vibrant costumes, saffron, crimson, emerald, ivory, each hue carrying echoes of region, ritual, and identity, while the music rose and fell like a shared heartbeat connecting performers and audience alike. Every gesture in the classical movements, every swirl in the folk dances, every devotional note and poetic line revealed layers of India’s civilizational richness, a land where philosophy breathes through art and where tradition is not static but luminously alive. What made the evening truly remarkable was not only its aesthetic beauty, but the insight it offered into India’s soul: a culture capable of holding multiplicity without fragmentation, devotion without exclusion, and diversity without discord. Through performance, India was not merely presented; it was experienced, textured, profound, and radiantly inclusive.
As the evening drew to a close, the stage once again belonged to the Assam troupe, whose traditional Bihu dance, Sefali dance, and musical performance filled the hall with rhythm, colour, and collective joy. The entire day from the disciplined intellectual exchanges of the afternoon to the celebratory artistry of the night embodied a living dialogue between thought and expression, scholarship and song, philosophy and folk tradition.
The second day of the Thinkers’ and Writers’ Peace Meet and International Book Festival thus stood as a sequence of events and specially as evidence to the power of literature and culture to weave communities together. In a world often fractured by misunderstanding, the gathering at Rotary Sadan in Kolkata offered a luminous counter-image: of poets and translators, dancers and scholars, government representatives and students, all sharing a single stage of humanity, where difference was not a boundary but a bridge, and where peace was both aspiration and practice.
