In a rare confluence of language, literature, and luminous talent, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi played host to a prestigious two-day Literary Conference on 29–30 May 2025. Jointly organised by the Sahitya Akademi and the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, the event opened with an inaugural address by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, setting the stage for a series of soul-stirring sessions.
Ranajit Das with Madhav Kaushik, President of Sahitya Akademi
One of the most anticipated segments of the conference was the ‘Poets’ Meet: Straight from the Heart’, held on the evening of 29th May. Eight eminent poets from across India and across languages gathered to share their verses, their voices resonating through the grand halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among them was Bengali poet Ranajit Das, whose powerful reading from his latest collection of translated poems, Aliens in the Metro left the audience spellbound.
Ranajit Das with other participating poets at the Rashtrapati Bhavan dining hall.
Published by Readomania in August 2024, Aliens in the Metro is a collection that glides effortlessly between cosmic wonder and intimate reflection. Das’s poetry, known for its vibrant energy, intellectual depth, and unabashed sensuality, cuts across the existential with an unmistakably human voice.
Eminent scholar, critic and former editor of Indian Literature Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee has this to say about Das’s poetic voice: “There is a daring originality and an element of surprise in most of his poems. His contemporary urban voice can take on any subject under the sun, be it politics, philosophy, erotica, science or philosophy.
It is interesting to read him saying in an interview: ‘I chose emotion to become the seat of my intellect.’”
The six poems Ranajit Das presented—Hieroglyphs, Aliens in the Metro, History, God’s Eyes, Animal Planet, and After My Death—earned thunderous applause and heartfelt appreciation from both literary stalwarts and new readers alike.
Ranajit Das reading his poems at the Literary Conference on 29 May 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
Also gracing the poetic evening were celebrated voices such as Mamang Dai (English), Dileep Jhaveri (Gujarati), Arun Kamal and Mahesh Garg (Hindi), Shafi Shauq (Kashmiri), Damayanti Beshra (Santali), and Ravi Subramaniyan (Tamil)—each contributing to a mosaic of India’s living literary traditions.
The conference continued on 30th May with three thought-provoking panel discussions on topics including Feminist Literature in India: Breaking New Grounds, Change in Literature vs. Literature of Change, and New Directions of Indian Literature in a Global Perspective. Eminent scholars and writers reflected on literature’s evolving role in a rapidly transforming world.
Group photograph of Indian poets and writers with Hon'ble President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of the Literary Conference on 29 May 2025.(Poet Ranajit Das standing at extreme left.)
The event concluded with a thoughtful address by Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, marking the end of two enriching days of dialogue and discovery.
For Ranajit Das—and for Indian poetry—the event was not just a celebration, but a coronation. As his publisher, Readomania takes immense pride in this moment of literary triumph.
Grab your copy of Aliens in the Metro here.
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