Organizer: Bhaskar Roy Barman-Tripura Poetry Society
Contact: bhaskarroybarman@rediffmail.com
100 Thousand Poets for Change
There will be celebrated throughout the world on 29 September 2012 an international poetry- reading festival under the rubric ‘100 Thousand Poets for Change.’
On 12 August in a meeting held at the house of Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman in a homely atmosphere, Tripura Poetry Society has taken a unanimous decision to organize this Poetry- reading festival on 29 September at Agartala to contribute its tiny mite to establishing world peace through poetry. With this purpose in mind a new committee is formed with the following poets and writers: President, Prof. Meenakshi Sen Bandyopadhyay, Director, NECOL, Agartala; Vice-presidents, Prof. Amita Chaudhury and Shri Shyamal Chaudhury; Secretary & Co-ordinator, Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman; Joint Secretary, Smt Gautami Roy and Treasurer, Smt. Sangita Dewanji. Participation in this poetry-reading festival is purely invitational.
Last year on 24 September Tripura Poetry Society organized at the Agartala Press Club a poetry-reading festival to inaugurate the world poetry movement in Tripura
It should be mentioned here that at the initiative of Tripura Poetry Society International Society for Intercultural Studies and Research, Kolkata will organize this poetry-reading festival at Kolkata on that day with solemnity and grandeur.
Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman
PO Box 51
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Mobile: 09612154678 Email: bhaskarroybarman@gmail.com
bhaskarroybarman@rediffmail.com
TRIPURA POETRY SOCIETY
South Bank of Girls Bodhjung Dighi, Itakhola Road
Banamalipur (Middle), Agartala 799 001, West Tripura, India
Correspondence:
Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman
………….. PO Box 51, Agartala 799 001, West Tripura, India
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President: Secretary & Co-ordinator:
Prof. Meenakshi Sen Bandyopadhyay Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman
(Director, NECOL, Agartala)
Report on Poetry-reading Festival
(A Global Event of 100 Thousand for Change)
Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman
A poetry-reading festival, a global event of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, was held on 29 September at the Agartala Press, Agartala, Tripura, India under the auspices of Tripura Poetry Society, Agartala. Prof. Meenakshi Sen Bandyopadhyay, president of Tripura Poetry Society -she is the Director of North-East Centre for Oral Literature, a wing of the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, India – presided over the festival. Prof. Saroj Chaudhury who commands respect as a man of learning and Mr Nanda Kumar Deb Barma, a well-known writer, graced the festival with their presence as the chief guest and the special guest. Prof. Saroj Chaudhury lighted the lamp and immediately after the lighting of the lamp, one minute’s silence was observed for peace. Prof. Minakshi Sen Bandyopadhyay inaugurated the festival and spoke about the significance of holding such festival. Then all the members of Tripura Poetry Society sung the choral song ‘We Shall overcome, we shall overcome…’ and the president, chief and special guests and the poets and the guests joined their voices in the choral song. In his key-note address Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman, Secretary and Co-ordinator delivered the following speech
It is time we awoke and rose to do something worthwhile to keep the world at peace and involved ourselves actively in the World Poetry Movement for peace inaugurated last year throughout the world on 24 September. I announce with pride at this festival that Tripura poetry Society, Agartala inaugurated the world poetry movement here in Agartala through a poetry-reading festival held on that day here at the Press-club. News of that festival was published in many newspapers and broadcast over many TV Channels Every one of us is a poet in himself or herself, no matter whether or not they write poetry. Hence the World Poetry Movement involves all sections of people in the cause of world peace The Press and Media plays an important role in publicizing and popularizing the movement for world peace and involve themselves actively in the world peace movement.
Tripura Poetry Society , formed last year to inaugurate the World Poetry Movement has earned a worldwide prestige as one of the organizations of the world devoted to advocating and fostering world peace. The grassroots organization ‘100 Thousand Poets for Change’ working year-round from the USA has selected me as one of the organizers from around the world entrusted with the task of organizing this global event here , for I have been working all alone for more than mine years to popularize world literature and foster world peace and edited, to give a concrete shape to my endeavour, internationally acclaimed books on world literature –El Dorado: An Anthology on World Literature- and on South-Asian literature – South-Asian Literature: Criticism and Poetry – and so on and published many articles on human rights and world peace, besides poems for peace
Tripura Poetry Society spearheaded by me has now become part of this grass-roots organization, that is, ‘100 Thousand Poets for Change’, aiming to bring together poets, artists, musicians, dancers, reporters attached to print and electronic media and photographers on a common platform in common urge to call for environmental, social and political change within the framework of peace and sustainability. Emphasis is placed on local event, as it is considered key to the global event, since communitiesaround the world raise their voices through concerts, readings, workshops, flash mobs, dance and demonstrations that speak to the heart of specific areas of concerns such as homelessness, ecocide, racism and censorship.
‘Peace and sustainability is a major concern worldwide and the guiding principle for this global event. ‘we are in a world,’ in the words of Michael Rothenberg, co-founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change and a widely known poet,’ where it is not just one issue that needs to be addressed.” There are many other issues relevant to world peace which deserve to be equally stressed. Other co-founder is Terri Carrion, a widely known poet and translator.
I think it will be of interest to you to know that the process of effecting the change has already started throughout the world.
More than two hundred bands will be performing around the world, from Los Angeles. New Orleans and Detroit to Serbia, Nigeria and Italy and musicians involved in this movement are using their songs and performances in a bid to communicate their concerns to the world.
The locally focused events have now taken on a more continuous and expansive form through new disciplines represented this year. For example, photographers in theUSA have come forward to make a long-term project so as to document the involvement of their communities and explore connexions with the broader global issues to turn into future exhibits.
Tripura Poetry Society, Agartala, is thinking along the line of including musicians, artists, and, if possible, photographers and holding a day-long programme from next year on.
Mr Shyamal Chaudhury, Vice-President of Tripura Poetry Society, spoke of world peace. Mr Nanda Kumar Deb Barma, the special guest, spoke about the function of poetry in fostering world peace and Prof. Saroj Chaudhury, the chief guest, elaborated in detail upon it. Mrs Seuli Roy, a member, presented a solo song. Prof. Amita Chaudhury gave the vote of thanks In her speech thanking all for their collaborating with Tripura Poetry Society in organizing this global event, she particularly mentioned Mr Tapas Roy, proprietor, Sriram Prakashiani who sponsored the rent of the ground-floor room of the Agartala Press Club and Asha Flex Industries for sponsoring the poster. With the thanksgiving ended the inaugural session
A distinguished reciter, Mrs Shaoli Roy recited a poem to prepare the poets and the guests for the poetry-reading session.
The president, the chief and special guests, all the members of Tripura Poetry Society and the poets and other guests present chorally sang a Rabindric song to inaugurate the poetry-reading session. Mr Prantosh Karmakar, a well-known singer, sang a solo song. Then began the poetry reading. As many as 50 poets presented their poems and voiced their comments on world peace. Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman and Gautomi Roy compered in this event.
Dr Bhaskar Roy Barman
PO box 51
Agartala 799 001
West Tripura, India
Agartala 799 001, West Tripura, India