MAITRI CULTURAL ECONOMY SAMITI (MCES) WEST BENGAL SUMMIT, KOLKATA 2026

Report

Rai Saha

Photographs

Teerthankar Basak & Md. Sameer

BAJMC Sem 3

Mentor

Prof. Moumita De Das, Associate Professor, ASCO 

 

ASCO Students & Team ASCOPE at MCES 2026

From L-R Rai Saha, Aishwarya Siingh, Prof. Moumita De Das, Tanisha Banerjee, Md. Sameer, Nilanjana Chattoraj (sitting) Teerthankar Basak, Sohini Bhattacharya

MCES 2026: Unfolds the Vision of Purvodaya Through Culture, Spirituality and Economic Policy, with ASCO Students Capturing Every Chapter

 

On July 17, 2026 marked a significant milestone in India's cultural and policy landscape as MCES 2026, themed "Purvodaya," successfully convened Eastern India's first Cultural Economy Summit at Fairfield by Marriott, Kolkata. Organised and powered by the Maitri Cultural Economy Samiti (MCES) under the aegis of MaitriBodh Parivaar, the summit was held in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Mahindra, SmArt and the Bharat Ekatvam Foundation.

Guided by the spiritual vision of His Holiness Maitreya Dadashreeji and driven by the economic leadership of Shri Gopal Krishna Agarwal, Patron, MCES and National Spokesperson, BJP (Economic Affairs), the summit sought to redefine the way India perceives culture, not merely as an inheritance of the past but as a living, evolving economic force. Under the theme Purvodaya, meaning the "Rise of the East," the summit envisioned Eastern India as a catalyst for a new developmental narrative where Sanskriti, spirituality and economic policy complement one another in shaping sustainable growth.

Throughout the day, scholars, policymakers, economists, artists, spiritual leaders and cultural practitioners came together to examine how India's festivals, temple ecosystems, indigenous knowledge systems, crafts, traditions and heritage can become engines of employment, entrepreneurship and inclusive development while preserving the country's civilisational identity.

The summit unfolded through eight carefully curated segments, comprising the inaugural session, three thematic sessions, two parallel thematic sessions, networking interactions, the presentation of the policy report and a concluding cultural programme that celebrated the artistic traditions of Eastern India.

MCES Session 2026

The Inaugural Session, themed "Governing the Cultural Economy: Institutional Roles and Policy Strategies," laid the foundation for the day's deliberations. The session was graced by Shri Gopal Krishna Agarwal, Shri Shailesh Puranik, Dr. Sarup Prasad Ghosh, Shri Shankar Ghosh, Smt. Purnima Chakraborty, and Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, who addressed the gathering virtually. Together, the dignitaries emphasised that India's cultural heritage should be recognised not only as a source of identity but also as a strategic driver of economic development, capable of strengthening local economies while reinforcing national pride.

The discussions continued with Thematic Session I – Spiritual Traditions and Temple Economy: Perspectives from West Bengal, chaired by Prof. Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty, Vice-Chancellor, Presidency University. The distinguished panel included Shri Kushal Choudhury, Secretary and Trustee, Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Debottar Estate; Shri Ravi Singh Chaudhary, Eminent Author and Public Thinker; Brahmachari Divakar Chaitanya, In-charge, Chinmaya Mission, Kolkata; and Paramatmanandaji Ji Maharaj, Spiritual Guru and Eminent Author. The session explored the economic significance of temple ecosystems, heritage restoration, spiritual tourism and the role of religious institutions in generating sustainable livelihoods while preserving authenticity and cultural values.

 

Thematic Session II – Reflections of Cultural Economy in Eastern India: Intersections of Culture, Society and Economy brought together Shri Ashish Giri, Director, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre; Dr. Dhanpat Ram Agarwal, National Co-convener, Swadeshi Jagran Manch; Mrs. Meena Vishwanath, Deputy Director, SMaRT; Smt. Tramila Bhattacharya, actress and social worker; Dr. Sumit Sur, Ayurveda practitioner and researcher in Indian Knowledge Systems; and Shri Goutam Dey, Founder and President, Bharatacharcha Foundation. Through diverse perspectives, the speakers examined how cultural practices, traditional knowledge systems and community participation continue to shape regional economies and strengthen Eastern India's developmental landscape.

The historical continuum of Eastern India formed the basis of Thematic Session III – From Anga to Banga to Kalinga: Reimagining Ancient Cultural Linkages for Sustainable Cultural-Economic Connectivity. The session featured Prof. Byomakesh Tripathy, Vice-Chancellor, Gangadhar Meher University; Prof. Ramkrushna Pradhan, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya; Dr. Pritam Banerjee, Head, Centre for WTO Studies; and Prof. Rabiranjan Sen, historian and President, Vidya Bharati, West Bengal. Drawing upon the maritime and cultural exchanges that once connected Anga, Banga and Kalinga, the discussion explored how these historic linkages can inspire contemporary regional cooperation and sustainable economic connectivity.

Running simultaneously were two parallel sessions that expanded the summit's multidisciplinary discourse.

Parallel Session IV – Lifestyle Through Art: Restoring Heritage for Sustainability featured Dr. Joy Sen, Professor, Department of Architecture, IIT Kharagpur; Shri Swapan Thakur, researcher in folklore and cultural traditions; Smt. Sanghita Mitra, Founder and Secretary, Bharatpur Patachitra Shilpi Samiti; Dr. Shubham Amin, academician and art critic; and Mrs. Arpita Bose, Lecturer, Shree Chaitanya Mahavidyalaya. The session celebrated traditional art forms as living embodiments of sustainability, demonstrating how indigenous artistic practices continue to preserve cultural identity while supporting artisan livelihoods.

 

                                        Prof. Moumita De Das as a MCES Speaker 

 

Background Paper/Conference Paper published of Prof. Moumita De Das

In parallel, Session V – Artificial Intelligence, Heritage Documentation and Intellectual Property Rights: Preserving Cultural Legacy in the Digital Age explored the transformative role of emerging technologies in safeguarding India's cultural wealth. The panel comprised Smt. Moumita De Das, Associate Professor, Amity University Kolkata; Dr. Somsubhra Gupta, Professor, Swami Vivekananda University; Shri Aditya Das, Head, Department of Commerce, Raghunathpur College; Dr. Anirban Das, Professor and AI researcher; and Shri Kaushik Maiti, Scientist, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata. The discussion highlighted how artificial intelligence, digital documentation and intellectual property frameworks can become indispensable tools for preserving cultural heritage in an increasingly digital world.

 

Session 5 Panelists and MCES Organisers

The summit concluded with the Valedictory Session and Presentation of the Policy Report, themed "The Way Forward and Roadmap for Cultural Economic Governance in Bengal: Envision Viksit Bharat @2047." The session featured addresses by Shri Rathindra Bose, Hon'ble Speaker, Government of West Bengal, and His Holiness Maitreya Dadashreeji, whose reflections underscored the importance of integrating India's timeless wisdom with contemporary governance and economic policymaking. As the programme drew to a close with a vibrant cultural presentation, Purvodaya had evolved from a theme into a shared vision.

More than a summit, MCES 2026 became a confluence of ideas where history conversed with the future, spirituality met public policy and culture emerged as an enduring economic resource. It demonstrated that the stories, traditions and knowledge systems inherited across generations are not relics of the past but living assets capable of inspiring innovation, creating livelihoods and shaping a more inclusive and culturally rooted model of development. In doing so, Purvodaya truly marked the dawn of a new conversation on Cultural Economy in Eastern India, laying a strong foundation for future collaborations between academia, government, civil society and young communicators.

 

                 Background Paper officially released by the Tourism and Culture Ministers, Govt. of West Bengal

OUTCOME FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBER

Under the mentorship of Prof. Moumita De Das, ASCO, students received this prestigious opportunity, which was part of their Experiential Learning under UGC's NEP 2020. Beyond the distinguished speakers and thought-provoking deliberations, the summit stood as a testament to the dedication of its student volunteers, whose efforts were instrumental in documenting the event. Students from the Amity School of Communication (ASCO), Amity University Kolkata, actively contributed as rapporteurs, photographers and reel creators, working in close coordination with the organising team throughout the summit. Assigned across the thematic sessions, they meticulously documented keynote addresses, panel discussions and policy recommendations through rapporteur reports while simultaneously capturing the essence of the event through photography and short-form visual storytelling. Their work ensured that the ideas exchanged within the conference extended beyond the venue and reached wider audiences through impactful documentation. 

                Students worked as Rapporteurs for 7 sessions along with other academicians from other institutes

Our ASCOPE went national and collaborated with the MCES/Maitri Parivaar

The experience offered the students an invaluable opportunity to translate classroom learning into professional practice. Through real-time conference reportage, photography and digital storytelling, they developed practical skills in event documentation, visual communication, collaborative teamwork, professional ethics and deadline-oriented media production. Engaging directly with policymakers, academicians, economists, researchers, artists and spiritual leaders also broadened their understanding of the emerging discipline of Cultural Economy and the role of media in documenting policy discourse. Further strengthening ASCO's academic presence, Prof. Moumita De Das, ASCO also contributed to the summit as a speaker in Parallel Session V, on ‘Artificial Intelligence, Heritage Documentation and Intellectual Property Rights – Presereving Cultural Legacy in the Digital Age’. She also contributed to the Background paper, which was published officially by the organisers and ministers of tourism and culture Govt. of West Bengal. 

In recognition of the ASCO students commitment and contribution, they were presented with Certificates of Appreciation.

REPORT ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR ASCO STUDENTS

Under the mentorship of Prof. Moumita De Das, Amity School of Communication (ASCO) students received the prestigious opportunity to be associated with MCES 2026, under Experiential Learning as framed in UGC's NEP 2020.

 

ASCO student volunteers, actively contributed as rapporteurs, photographers and reel creators, working in close coordination with the organising team throughout the summit. Their efforts were instrumental in documenting the entire event.

 

The experience offered the students an invaluable opportunity to translate classroom learning into professional practice. Through real-time conference reportage, photography and digital storytelling, they developed practical skills in event documentation, visual communication, collaborative teamwork, professional ethics and deadline-oriented media production. Engaging directly with policymakers, academicians, economists, researchers, artists and spiritual leaders also broadened their understanding of the emerging discipline of Cultural Economy and the role of media in documenting policy discourse. Further strengthening ASCO's academic presence, Prof. Moumita De Das, ASCO also contributed to the summit as a speaker in Parallel Session V, on ‘Artificial Intelligence, Heritage Documentation and Intellectual Property Rights – Preserving Cultural Legacy in the Digital Age’. She also contributed to the Background paper, which was published officially by the organisers and ministers of tourism and culture Govt. of West Bengal. 

 

In recognition of the ASCO students commitment and contribution, they were presented with Certificates of Appreciation.

IMP: The official report will soon be published by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and MCES. 

Certificate of Appreciation

N.B: We are extremely thankful to Bharat Ekatvam and Maitri Parivaar Team 

to provide us with this prestigious opportunity for our ASCO students under Experiential Learning and Extension Activity under UGC NEP 2020.

 

 

Dhoop Khidki Ki — A Window Through Which Women Perceive Their True Reflection

Theatre Review

Aishwarya Siingh

BAJMC Sem 3

Kartikey Tripathi, writer and director of the play

  

Glimpses from Dhoop Khidki Ki 

Some plays entertain, some provoke thought, and then there are those rare productions that quietly stay with you long after the curtain falls.

Dhoop Khidki Ki, written and directed by Kartikey Tripathi, is one such play. It does not rely on dramatic twists or loud confrontations. Instead, it finds extraordinary depth in the ordinary moments of everyday life—the kind we see daily but seldom question.

Set within the familiar walls of a middle-class household, the story follows Rachna, a homemaker who has spent twenty-nine years nurturing her family: her husband Ramesh, her son Aditya, and her daughter Neha. Alongside her is Pushpa, the family's domestic help, who silently endures domestic violence. Though separated by class, both women carry the same invisible burden: the expectation to keep giving, adjusting, and enduring while their own identities slowly fade.

The audience witnesses countless moments that feel painfully familiar: a son asking his mother not to speak too much in front of his friends because "she doesn't understand"; a husband casually assuming that meals, comfort, and care will always be provided, without ever acknowledging the person behind them. Remarks like "Ladki ho, kam bola karo" and "Yeh tumhara sasural hai, sunna seekho" are not presented as extraordinary acts of cruelty. They are shown exactly as they exist in countless households—ordinary, everyday phrases that quietly shape a woman's life.

The play reminds us that neglect is not always loud; sometimes, it is simply the absence of appreciation. Sometimes love exists, but gratitude quietly disappears.

Perhaps the most moving aspect of the production is that Ramesh and Aditya are not portrayed as villains. They are ordinary men. They love Rachna, but somewhere between routine, responsibility, and societal conditioning, they stop seeing her beyond the roles she performs. She becomes "Maa" and "Wife" before she remains "Rachna." That uncomfortable familiarity is what makes the play so painfully relatable. Emotional neglect, it suggests, is often born not from cruelty, but from habit.

The emotional heartbeat of the play lies in Rachna's diary, written when she was just twenty-one. Hidden between its fading pages are dreams that once felt limitless—traveling, writing books, and discovering a life beyond the four walls of her home. They are dreams she never consciously abandoned; they were simply postponed so many times that they quietly slipped away.

Watching her revisit those pages felt as though every woman in the auditorium paused for a moment and asked herself a deeply personal question:

"When was the last time I met myself?"

Somewhere between becoming an ideal daughter-in-law, a dependable wife, a nurturing mother, and the emotional anchor of an entire household, when did she last spend time with the young girl she once was? The girl who was ambitious, curious, hopeful, and full of dreams. The girl who believed the world was waiting for her.

At what point did that girl quietly disappear?

Perhaps the most heartbreaking truth the play uncovers is that many women do not lose themselves in a single defining moment. They disappear gradually—through postponed dreams, small compromises, and countless acts of love that leave little room for their own aspirations. After years of living for everyone else, they become almost afraid to look back. Afraid to meet the person they once were. Because what if reconnecting with that younger self makes it impossible to continue pretending she never existed? What if remembering those dreams hurts more than forgetting them ever did?

One of the play's most beautiful relationships is between Rachna and her childhood friend, Rashmi Srivastav. Unlike everyone else, Rashmi speaks to Rachna not as someone's wife or mother, but simply as Rachna. Their conversations gently remind her of the dreams she once cherished and the person she had quietly buried beneath years of responsibility. Rashmi never offers dramatic solutions; instead, she offers something far more meaningful—she listens. In many ways, she becomes the emotional anchor Rachna never realized she needed, encouraging her to look inward rather than continue living only for others.

Running alongside this narrative is Pushpa, whose heartbreaking line, "Main bhi toh kisi ki beti hoon," captures the pain of women whose dignity is stripped away behind closed doors. Through Pushpa, the play broadens its message beyond a single household, reminding the audience that while women's struggles may differ, the desire to be respected, heard, and valued is universal.

The performances embrace restraint with remarkable maturity. There are no exaggerated emotional outbursts or melodramatic confrontations; every pause, unfinished sentence, and fleeting glance carries meaning. The minimalist set design, subtle lighting, and understated background score allow the emotions to breathe naturally. The window—the khidki—emerges as one of the play's most powerful symbols, quietly representing hope, forgotten aspirations, and the promise that it is never too late to rediscover the person you used to be.

The diary eventually gives way to letters written to every member of the family. They are not letters of blame, but of love wrapped in honesty. Her message to Neha is particularly touching, urging her daughter never to let the world clip her wings the way life had clipped her own. To Aditya, she gently reminds him that success means little if it is not accompanied by empathy. Even her letter to Ramesh carries no bitterness; she was never asking for grand gestures—she simply wanted someone to notice that she, too, had dreams, fears, and moments of exhaustion.

Dhoop Khidki Ki succeeds because it does not offer easy answers or dramatic resolutions. Instead, it leaves behind questions that linger—questions about gratitude, identity, and the invisible emotional labor that quietly holds families together. By the time the house lights came up, the play had transformed from Rachna's story into something much larger: a reflection of countless women whose dreams were never abandoned, only postponed.

A particularly striking observation came from a senior audience member after the performance. He remarked that the play was not merely about women's struggles, but about their extraordinary courage. "Women were never weak," he said. "Perhaps it was men who were too afraid to recognize just how strong they have always been." It was a thought that lingered long after the evening had ended.

In the end, Dhoop Khidki Ki is not merely a play about sacrifice. It is a poignant reminder that before every woman became someone's wife, mother, or daughter-in-law, she was first an individual with dreams, ambitions, and a name of her own. And perhaps the greatest achievement of the production is that, for a brief evening, it gave many women in the audience the courage to look through that window once again—and remember the girl waiting on the other side.

 Inputs by Rupa Sethia, BAJMC Sem 3