Kolkata, 14 January 2026: The Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2026 hosted the Apeejay Jit Paul Memorial Lecture at the historic Alipore Museum, with writer-diplomat Pavan K. Varma delivering a thought-provoking address titled ‘Are We a Tolerant Society? Heritage, History, Reconciliation’. The lecture was chaired by Dr Jayanta Sengupta, Director of the Alipore Museum.
Pavan K. Varma opened his address by honouring the late Jit Paul, whom he described as “an iconic entrepreneur, businessman with vision, who in a way was one of the co-architects of the Apeejay group,” expressing his pride in delivering this annual lecture established in his memory.
In his wide-ranging address, Varma examined the idea of tolerance as a lived civilisational value rather than a rhetorical ideal, situating the discussion within India's layered history, plural traditions, and the ethical responsibilities of citizenship. Drawing on his distinguished career in diplomacy, public service, and writing, he reflected on how heritage and historical memory shape the possibilities of reconciliation in a diverse society.
Varma began by defining tolerance not merely as coexistence, but as “...the ability to accept, accept with respect other points of view, to look upon the other, if there is anything such as the other, as one of our own, and to move away from inflexible certitudes to the point of exclusion.” He emphasised that tolerance is “an attitude, an approach, a sentiment, far more than a vocabulary definition of it.”
The lecture traced India's intellectual and spiritual foundations, illustrating how Indian philosophical traditions encouraged plurality and discussed how Buddhism and Jainism, despite denying fundamental Hindu tenets, were patronised by Hindu kings, with institutions like Nalanda receiving support from the Gupta and Pala dynasties. The lecture acknowledged historical complexities, including hierarchies that emerged around caste and gender, while celebrating movements that reasserted inclusive values.
The lecture also engaged with more recent history, acknowledging the Constitution of India as "... a reassertion of that tolerance," guaranteeing freedom of expression, individual freedom, the right to dissent, judicial remedy, and religious freedom. Varma emphasised that "...tolerance is something as fragile as porcelain. We have to guard against it." He urged audiences to rethink tolerance as an active, continuous practice, stressing that constitutional values and cultural pluralism require constant vigilance and ethical responsibility.
Chairing the session, Dr Jayanta Sengupta offered a compelling response that situated the lecture within broader intellectual traditions. Framing the conversation as one that bridged scholarship, public discourse, and civic reflection, Dr Sengupta concluded on a note of careful optimism, thanking Varma for giving audiences thoughts to carry beyond the space of the museum and the festival.
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