Unity in diversity in the armed forces. Social media is a trap laid by traffickers. An unyielding spirit secures justice.

A TEDx event at St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) Kolkata saw moving speeches by people from diverse backgrounds.

The TEDxStXavier’sCollegeKolkata, held in association with The Telegraph, was held at the Father Depelchin Auditorium on February 4.

This was the event’s fifth edition and was themed “Transcendence: Evolve, Elevate, Transform”.

The speakers’ line-up comprised anti-trafficking activist Pallabi Ghosh, ex army officer and entrepreneur Captain Dharmveer Singh, Supreme Court advocate Prachi Pratap, and youth activist Shashwat Pandey.

Captain Singh spoke at length on life in the armed forces. “I come from an organisation where if you make a mistake there is no ‘next quarter’ to fix it. If you make a mistake, someone’s life is on the line. Someone will be sent home in a body bag, wrapped in the flag,” he said.

He recalled an experience in Jammu and Kashmir where stationed at a remote observation post, he and his team were cut off from communication and supplies for 38 days because of a severe snowstorm.

“Do you think your loved ones would believe you were fine if you hadn’t spoken to them for over a month,” he asked the audience.

He stressed the unity among diversity in the armed forces by pointing out how “regimental divisions like the Sikh, Rajput, and Jat regiments stand together, despite their diverse backgrounds, to serve a higher purpose — the security and honour of the nation”.

The packed audience with hundreds of students listened in rapt attention as he spoke.

Ghosh detailed her journey and harped on the “collective responsibility” in combating the menace of human trafficking. She warned about the lures of social media, which, she said, was being extensively used by traffickers to find vulnerable targets.

She recounted rescuing a girl from a reputable school in Calcutta who had been lured into a relationship through online communication.

“Technology has brought us closer but has also created an emotional disconnect. This girl was from a well-off family, but her parents were too distant to notice the signs of manipulation,” Ghosh said.

“Traffickers are now using social media to prey on vulnerable individuals—this isn’t just about poverty, it’s a crisis that spans all socioeconomic boundaries,” she said.

TED X Talk 2025 Audience at St,xaviers on Tuesday

Lawyer-activist Pratap urged individuals to break free from societal and mental limitations, challenge existing norms, and actively participate in shaping a more equitable society.

“There was a time when people were denied basic rights based on race, gender, or social standing,” she said. “Those limitations changed not because of laws alone, but because of individuals who stood up against unjust norms,” she said.

She cited examples of landmark cases that were often the result of courageous individuals challenging the system. Citing the Vishaka Guidelines, which emerged from the 1992 Bhavri Devi case, she illustrated how “legal reforms protecting women in the workplace were born out of necessity and the unwavering determination of one person seeking justice”.

Pandey, who works closely with several governmental agencies and bodies such as the Union ministry of youth affairs and has represented India on global platforms, highlighted the “transformative” power of networking and human connections.

Challenging traditional notions of networking, Pandey argued that it isn’t merely about exchanging business cards or adding connections on LinkedIn. “There are over 5.5 billion people on the internet. How many of them could change your life?” he asked, encouraging the audience to be strategic, intentional, and proactive in their interactions.

Rev Dominic Savio, principal of St Xaviers College (Autonomous) Kolkata, celebrated TEDx as a platform for innovation, gratitude, and social change.

“We are ecstatic to be associated with an organization that believes in propagating ideas, promoting narratives, and highlighting individuals who leave an imprint on society,” he said in the inaugural address.