Twelve powerful slogans that have emerged as universal voices of resistance have inspired a 2026 calendar conceptualised by three Calcuttans.

Zan Zendegi Azadi (women, life, freedom) and Black Lives Matter to Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge (We will not show papers), the slogans have been clarion calls for protest in India and the world.

Zan Zendegi Azadi was the chant of the raging protests in Iran triggered by the custodial death of Mahsa Amini, in September 2022. She was arrested for
improperly wearing her headscarf and then beaten into a coma by Iran’s morality police.

Black Lives Matter is a political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and racial inequality experienced by Black people in the US.

In early 2020, massive protests erupted across India against the Centre’s contentious CAA-NRC thrust. Muslim women with Tricolours were at the forefront of the protests and long-standing vigils. Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge was more than a slogan; it was an assertion of their Indian-ness.

There Is No Planet B; From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free; Smash the Patriarchy and Jai Bhim are some of the other slogans that have made it to the calendar.

The fifth edition of the annual calendar project, known as Canvas of Untold History, will be launched in 2026.

The 2025 calendar explored the diverse culinary landscape of India, which is enriched by worldwide influences.

Conversely, the 2024 calendar shared 12 stories that emphasised communal harmony and
local myths, offering hope against a backdrop of division and bigotry.

“The rise of right-wing politics is pushing society towards deep polarisation. Violence and hatred are making people’s lives unbearable. Against this politics, an intense struggle is underway to reclaim people’s rights. This year’s calendar focuses on slogans — the powerful calls of recent movements that have travelled from local uprisings to become universal voices of resistance,” said Mitali Biswas, an independent documentary filmmaker and one of the three behind the project.

Sagarika Dutta, an illustrator, and Abir Neogy, who is in the printing business, are the other two.

“Our effort is to carry these slogans across borders and pass them on to the new generation. With this calendar, we hope to carry these movements forward — to spread the stories of people’s struggles, to send countless ripples that can shake an unyielding world,” Biswas added.

A group of friends has made the illustrations for the calendar, with one slogan as the backdrop for each month.

Orders can be placed on WhatsApp at 9433760752 or the Facebook page of Calendar: Canvas of Untold History.

The makers have printed around 500 calendars, each priced at ₹250.