The audience that packed the Calcutta Club lawn for the Sister Nivedita University presents Calcutta Club The Telegraph National Debate 2026 on Saturday evening listened with rapt attention, cheering whenever the opinion expressed resounded with them.

This year, the motion for Calcutta's most-awaited intellectual face-off was “Status Quo has been the unmaking of Bengal”.

Post the debate, The Telegraph Online spoke to the panelists, attendees and members of Calcutta Club.

Vir Sanghvi, journalist, columnist, former editor, Sunday and Hindustan Times, had to oblige for several selfies with the audience.

“It's always great to be back in Calcutta,” he said. “It's the only city in India where you can have an educated debate with an educated audience. It’s also very special for me to be back with an ABP event. It's really where I learned my journalism and there is no group like ABP and no paper like The Telegraph.”

Ramaditya Ray, director of Calcutta Club, outlined how the club and The Telegraph National Debate have become inseparable.

“Whenever a committee takes over, the few questions that the committee face is when is The Telegraph debate and when is the International Evening. The Telegraph debate over the years has created a position which has become a signature event of Calcutta Club. So, we look forward to it. The Telegraph is the original, it’s the beginning, and is really unputdownable,” Ray said.

Sambit Patra, BJP Lok Sabha MP from Odisha’s Puri, not only recited the Mahishashur Mardini, he raised the temperature with his very animated speech on stage.

“What I had to say, I have said everything on stage. Hope the attendees had a great time,” he said after the debate was over.

Sambit Patra. Picture: Amit Dutta

Businessman Shankar Majumder, 70, is a regular at the annual debate.

“Debate is always required because it is important to listen to both sides,” he said. “And this debate is special because we had very distinguished speakers who gave us a lot of good perspectives. And there’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

Saira Shah Halim, left politician, author and educator, who was among the debate speakers speaking against the motion, said: “We need these very engaging and pivotal debates. Not just before the elections, but to engage in a healthy manner. The speakers were given that freedom, I could speak about the unmaking of Bengal, and the new hopes. I think there should be more such equivocal debates.”

Mental health expert Moushumi Mitra, who was in the audience, found the debate “very informative and engaging.”

Kasturi Raha, the first female president in the history of Calcutta Club, rejoiced in the success of the debate.

“Over the years this event has become such an intellectual watershed for Calcutta Club and the hundreds of audiences that attend,” she said.