Bengal Library Association (BLA) recently hosted an evening celebrating three of Bengal’s most beloved literary figures — Tagore, Nazrul and Sukanta — at its FD Block premises. Incidentally, one of the founding fathers of BLA was none other than Tagore himself!

“In a meeting held at Albert Hall on December 20, 1925, the BLA was formed with Rabindranath Tagore as its president and Sushil Kumar Ghosh as secretary,” Jaydip Chandra, a member of BLA, said. “This is our 100th anniversary year, and we’ve been organising events throughout the year. This evening is one of them.”

Agnishwar Kumar Mukherjee began with a rendition of Gram chara oi. Aditi Ghosh, all of five years old, won hearts with her performance of Hare re re, accompanied on harmonium by her mother and Tanushree Sengupta sang Nazrulgeeti like Sedin chhilo ki godhuli lagan and Phiriya jodi se ase.

“This is my first time performing here, and the ambience is beautiful,” said Tripti Sen, who sang alongside her daughter Tania Nandi. “Such occasions are special, where so many people come together to celebrate personalities who have contributed so much to our society.”

Subir Mandol and Nipa Bhattacharya recited a script based on the character of Krishnakali, as described in Tagore’s song Krishnakali ami tare boli.

Arindam Chattopadhyay address the audience on the emotional connect Bengalis share with these cultural icons. “These poets speak the language of our hearts. That is why we can call them ‘priyo’ (dear). We don’t say priyo to, say, a scientist like Newton even though we respect their contributions. But with Tagore and Nazrul, we feel a closeness. They are in our hearts,” he smiled.

The event was organised in collaboration with Samaj Bhasha Sanskritik Parishad and Sarabitan Sanskriti Charcha Kendra.

CJ Block-based social group Vivekananda Swasthya Seva Sangha celebrated its 42nd foundation day on August 15 with flag hoisting, a puja, and promises of an action-filled upcoming year.

Founded in 1984, the group works primarily in rural Bengal, providing essential healthcare and developmental services through voluntary efforts.

The day began with a puja conducted by Swami Bhaktimayananda Maharaj, followed by the flag hoisting ceremony. The annual general meeting was then held, chaired by president Subhra Dutta to review ongoing activities and reaffirm the organisation’s goals.

The gathering included doctors, volunteers and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation mayor Krishna Chakraborty. “Organisations like this complement the public health system by reaching out to people who often live on the margins,” Chakraborty said. “Their work has filled crucial gaps, especially in preventive healthcare and awareness building.”

Joint secretary of the group Gour Das shared the origins of the body. “The initiative began with a youth convention in 1982 at Belur Math, organised by Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj. What followed was a small group trying to provide medical aid to a few villages on Sundays but it evolved, got shaped by circumstance and sustained commitment,” said Das, who is also secretary of the National Neuroscience Centre in south Calcutta.

Beginning with weekly medical visits to a few villages in Hooghly, they expanded to areas like Howrah and South 24 Parganas.

The event welcomed several distinguished physicians associated with their rural medical outreach, including Dhiman Ganguly, Sudipta Dasgupta, Arpita Lahiri, Bibaswati Mukherjee, and also Justice Debabrata Sinha. “There is no glamour in this work and much of it goes unnoticed. But over time, you see small but meaningful improvements — in health, in awareness, in trust. That is what keeps us committed and makes the effort worthwhile,” said senior volunteer Hena Das.