Centenary celebration of closing ceremony of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan ends

kolkata: The three-day centenary celebrations of the concluding ceremony of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan (NBBSS), which started on Christmas, came to a fascinating end on Sister Nivedita University (SNU) campus at New Town, Kolkata on Tuesday.

The third day started with an important seminar on the journey of NBBSS and how senior members like renowned author Sunilmoy Ghosh and Pradip Bhattacharya, MP, and president of NBBSS, became a part of this century-old organisation.

For 95-year-old Ghosh, it was indeed an emotional moment to be at the centenary celebration of NBBSS, an organisation that he calls a 'temple'. Through his speech, he stressed the importance of the mother tongue and why it is imperative to safeguard the Bengali language in the present scenario. However, his utmost plea was to see a permanent workplace for the organisation.

"I remember I joined NBBSS on student membership in 1952. Over the years, I have seen several changes in the infrastructure of the organisation. I am 95 now, and I know I wouldn't be here long. So, my only desire is to see NBBSS finding a permanent location," said the acclaimed author. He further added that those who love Bengali literature should join the organization and enrich themselves.

Bhattacharya also went down memory lane and recalled how in 1974, he was asked to join NBBSS by Mera Roy of Behala. "She came to me with a form and urged me to join. The journey started since then and till now, it has been an absolute pleasure to be with an organisation, which is a treasure trove of culture and literature," he said.

Swapan Ganguly, the new president of NBBSS, urged the members of the organisation to give him some time before he finds a land or space for the organisation. "In my term, I will try my best to ensure that NBBSS gets an office space of its own," he said.

The three-day centenary celebration of the concluding ceremony of NBBS saw literary discussions, seminars, and several cultural programmes. On Tuesday, poetry, and Bengali songs were presented by various members of different branches of NBBSS. There are more than 100 branches across India with approximately 15,000 lifetime members at NBBSS. On the closing day, West Bengal minister Sujit Bose, Satyam Roychowdhury, Chancellor, SNU and Chairman, reception committee of NBBSS, and Bangladesh delegates were also present.

"I was extremely happy to learn that the Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose was present at the inauguration of the event. I also congratulate the Bangladesh delegation, who enriched the literary discussions held at the three-day event in Kolkata. I am glad I could be here at the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of NBBSS, which has been associated with greats like Rabindranath Tagore, Atulprasad Sen, and Radhakamal Mukhopadhyay," said the state minister.