Depicting Kolkatas Journey

Updated on: Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The diamond jubilee celebration of Modern High School for Girls was a tribute to the city of Kolkata, its rich cultural heritage and innately global character. The week long celebrations commenced with ‘Calcutta-Kolkata: the last sixty years’, an exhibition, inaugurated by Nirmala Birla, chairperson of the school and Ganga Somany, the only surviving founder member of the governing body, at the Ice Skating Rink.

The exhibition showcased the different aspects of the city ranging from its political culture, intellectual significance, and its international character to the history, vision and notable alumni of MHS. It also included a ‘craft mela’ that displayed the traditional crafts of Bengal.

A panel discussion followed suit on the topic of ‘Calcutta: Legacies and Dreams: in search of new directions’ at the school grounds. The panel comprised industrialist Harsh Neotia, cricketer Sourav Ganguly, director of CIMA Gallery, Rakhi Sarkar, journalist Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Sharmila Bose, principal of Sushila Birla Girls’ School and writer Amit Chaudhuri, who also delivered the keynote address. “Calcutta continues to be what it long was, a world city,” said Chadhuri.

From its glorious past to its present dereliction, the panelists touched upon all aspects of the city. “Calcutta’s legacy is of two kinds, architectural and the other is cultural and institutional. It was always a globalised city with artistic and literary achievements,” said Mukherjee. Sharmila Bose was of the opinion that the city ‘defies definition as it is a confluence of ideas, beliefs, lifestyles and cultures.’ Neotia highlighted the effortless juxtaposition of the modern and the traditional, a melting pot which values intellectualism over power and wealth.

Cricketer Sourav Ganguly, said, “As someone who has lived and loved in this city, I would like to see a better Kolkata. We are a city which produced intellectuals and leaders but the common perception is that nothing happens here. The city needs heroes, a forum for the youth and an atmosphere of thinking.”

Continuing with the diamond jubilee celebrations, the students of classes I and II of MHS, organised a pageant entitled ‘Aamader Kolkata’ on the school grounds. The young participants portrayed the cosmopolitan character of the city, with emphasis on its traditions and customs.

Depicting Kolkatas Journey

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