All Bengal Sahitya Sammelan, Howrah, 10.07.2026

Smt Mitra Ghosh Ji, First Lady of Haryana

Prof Sankar Kumar Sanyal, Working President, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

Prof Ratna Basu, Vice President, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

Shri Rathindra Mohan Bandyopadhyay, Vice President, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

Dr Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Secretary, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

Shri Shyama Prasad Mukhopadhyay, Joint Secretary, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

Shri Arindam Mukhopadhyay, Assistant Secretary, Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj

All other honoured members of Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj, esteemed participants of all Bengal Sahitya Sammelan, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen!

I wish you all a very warm good evening and welcome to the inauguration of All Bengal Sahitya Sammelan. I also put on record my special thanks to the team of Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj for their dedicated efforts in organizing this important literary event. Needless to say I am feeling really privileged to be among you and inaugurate this conference.
As you all know the Howrah Sanskrit Sahitya Samaj was founded on 13th September 1937 through the vision of the young Nityananda Mukhopadhyay, who sought to reconnect Sanskrit with the wider public.
Inspired by his appeal, his father Prof Ramgopal Mukhopadhyay Smritiratna convened leading scholars, resulting in the establishment of the Samaj under the presidency of Mahamahopadhyay Kalipada Tarkacharya. It subsequently became the principal centre for Sanskrit education and public examinations in Howrah.
I do take pride in the fact that over the decades, the Samaj has promoted Sanskrit through free education, seminars, conferences, competitions, music, theatre and research. It pioneered Sanskrit drama in Howrah, built a permanent campus and developed a valuable library housing thousands of rare manuscripts, catalogued with support from the National Mission for Manuscripts.

Dear Friends,
Ours is the blessed land where literature has bloomed so magnificently and its flavour has spread in every nook and corner of the world. From Rabindranath Tagore, Maharshi Aurobindo to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Bengal has produced world-class litterateurs. Therefore, our land is the enduring voice of humanity. We have preserved history and culture, and have inspired imagination and nurtured wisdom across generations. By expressing universal truths and diverse perspectives, our literature has promoted empathy, critical thinking and moral values.
Today the task before us is more challenging than earlier. And hence the need to use literature as a tool to shape minds positively, inspire empathy and strengthen the moral fabric of society.
In an era marked by polarization, misinformation, discrimination and social divisions, literature has to be used as a bridge that promotes dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.
Educational institutions, writers, translators and cultural organizations must promote literary works that uphold democratic values, social justice, gender equality, environmental consciousness and respect for cultural plurality.
Classical and contemporary literature alike can inspire citizens to reject hatred, embrace inclusivity and participate responsibly in public life. Encouraging reading, discussion and creative expression among young people will cultivate informed, ethical and engaged citizens.
Thus, literature remains a powerful instrument for building a more inclusive, non-divisive, responsible and democratic society founded on dialogue, wisdom and shared humanity.
I am confident that deliberations at All Bengal Sahitya Sammelan will prove to be a milestone in our collective efforts towards making great nation a much better place to live and thrive for all irrespective of their caste, religion or any other identity.
Best wishes!
Jai Hind!