The Department of English at Tripura University on Monday inaugurated a six-day national workshop on “Translating Voices: Language, Identity & Culture”, focusing on translation, multilingualism and the relationship between language and cultural identity.

The workshop is being organised by the Department of English in collaboration with the Tripura Institute of Technology, Narsingarh, Interface: A Literary Organization, Vidya Bharati Uccha Shiksha Sansthan, Tripura Prant, and Mondra: A Social Welfare Society.

Prof Dipendu Das, senior professor in the Department of English at Assam University, inaugurated the workshop. Prof Bijoy Kumar Upadhyaya, Principal-in-Charge of Tripura Institute of Technology, attended as the Guest of Honour. Senior Journalist and president of Interface: A Literary Organization Manas Pal, and Dr Sunil Kalai, founder of Mondra: A Social Welfare Society, were present as Special Guests.

The inaugural programme was held at the Department of English in Academic Building XI of Tripura University.

Prof Somdev Banik, Head of the Department of English, welcomed the guests, resource persons and participants and outlined the objectives of the workshop.

Addressing the gathering, Prof Das spoke about his experience with translation and discussed the intermixing of languages and emerging trends in the field. He focused on the evolving nature of translation and its role in facilitating interaction between different linguistic traditions.

Prof Upadhyaya spoke about the relevance of multilingual translation workshops in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 curriculum and emphasised the importance of multilingual approaches in higher education.

Dr Kalai highlighted the need to retain cultural aesthetics while translating literary and cultural works. He also spoke about the challenges of conveying cultural nuances accurately from one language to another.

Manas Pal discussed the use of technology in translation and stressed the need for careful and responsible use of technological tools in the process.

The workshop will provide a platform for academics, students, researchers and other participants to engage with issues related to translation, language, identity and culture. The collaborative programme brings together higher education institutions and organisations working in literary and social fields.

The workshop will continue with academic sessions and discussions centred on its theme, allowing participants to examine contemporary approaches to translation and the relationship between language and cultural expression.

The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Aparna Das, Convenor and Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Tripura University.