Cholchhe cholbe vs cholchhe, but cholbe na. That is the choice Calcutta will have to make on Saturday.

For decades, Bengal’s political and socio-economic landscape has been characterised by a deeply entrenched status quo. Many have alleged that this has bred complacency among ruling parties, and long-term stagnation, industrial decline and a steady brain drain.

Several others, however, link it to a contrarian streak they believe sets Bengal apart.

On the lawns of Calcutta Club this weekend, the audience will weigh in on whether the status quo means stagnation or stability.

The motion for the Sister Nivedita University presents Calcutta Club The Telegraph National Debate 2026 is: Status quo has been the unmaking of West Bengal.

With Bengal headed to the polls in the coming weeks, the debate could be a litmus test.

Vir Sanghvi, print and television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host, will moderate the debate. Having spent a significant part of his professional life in Bengal as editor of Sunday, he is well acquainted with what status quo means for the state.

Saturday evening promises a lively exchange. Sugata Bose, Swapan Dasgupta, Abhirup Sarkar, Jaideep Gupta, Sambit Patra, Samik Bhattacharya, Jisnu Basu and Saira Shah Halim are the speakers.

A celebrated historian and grand-nephew of Subhas Chandra Bose, Sugata Bose is the Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard University. A former MP from Jadavpur on a Trinamool Congress ticket, his
erudition is matched by his unflinching belief in a secular and inclusive India.

Swapan Dasgupta, columnist, television commentator and public intellectual, is a member of the BJP National Executive and a former Rajya Sabha MP who resigned from the Upper House to contest the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections.

Sambit Patra, one of the BJP’s most prominent spokespersons, is a fiery and aggressive debater on television panels, known for his staunch defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and acerbic attacks on Rahul Gandhi. A doctor by training, he is the BJP MP from Puri.

Economist Abhirup Sarkar spent much of his academic career at the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, retiring in 2020. His research has focused on international trade, economic development and political economy.

Legal eagle Jaideep Gupta was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1985. Over the years, he has built a distinguished practice across diverse areas of law.

In July 2025, the BJP installed a mild-mannered, RSS-tinged bhadralok at the Bengal unit’s helm. Many believed Samik Bhattacharya was meant to counter the perception of its lack of connect with Bengal.

Jisnu Basu, a technologist and faculty member at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Calcutta, is an active member of the RSS and serves as Sah Kshetra Prachar Pramukh for the eastern region.

Saira Shah Halim, a social and peace activist, educator, writer, theatre artiste and public speaker, entered electoral politics in 2022 with the CPM. She is the daughter
of Zameer Uddin Shah, former Indian Army officer and former vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.