48 cars, 180+ participants and a shared message of communal harmony marked Rotary’s unique journey inspired by Tagore’s historic call for unity
KOLKATA: A century-old message of communal harmony found a contemporary expression on the roads of Bengal as Rotary International Districts 3240 and 3291 jointly organised the Rotary Sampreeti Car Rally 2026, a large-scale awareness and harmony drive from Kolkata to Santiniketan on Saturday, 29 August.
The rally commemorated Rabindranath Tagore’s historic 1905 call for Hindu–Muslim unity, when, during the anti-Partition movement in Bengal, Tagore transformed Raksha Bandhan into a powerful public symbol of communal harmony.
The initiative sought to recreate that spirit of unity through a modern-day car rally while bringing together Rotarians and members of the wider community around the values of communal harmony, social inclusion, health awareness, literacy, environmental consciousness, community economic development and fellowship. The rally was also conceived as a major public image initiative for Rotary.
A Journey of Unity Across Bengal
The rally followed a unique two-sector format, with participants joining from both Kolkata and Bardhaman before merging into a single convoy bound for Santiniketan.
- 26 cars joined from Kolkata (Sector I)
- 22 cars joined from Bardhaman (Sector II)
- Total rally participants: more than 180
- Destination: Panthanibas, Daronda, Santiniketan.
The Kolkata sector of the rally was flagged off at 9:00 AM by District Governor Tapas Bhattacharya from Rotary Prakash Bhavan, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Several Past District Governors were present at the flag-off, including Prabir Chatterjee, Krishnendu Gupta, Rajani Mukherjee, Ajay Law and Raju Rajgharia.
In keeping with Rotary’s emphasis on inclusion and care for vulnerable sections of society, special arrangements were made for children from Life Beyond Cancer, NIP and Arunima Hospice. The children travelled in separate cars as part of the convoy, with arrangements made to ensure their comfort and safety while enabling them to participate in the event.
Exceptional Police Support Across the Route
Behind the successful journey was extensive coordination between the organisers and law-enforcement authorities across the route.
Individual permission letters were sent to police authorities in Bidhannagar, Lalbazar (Kolkata Police), Barrackpore, Hooghly (Rural), Bardhaman, Asansol and Birbhum. These were followed by emails to each authority to confirm the necessary arrangements.
Participants particularly appreciated the exceptional support extended by the police authorities, describing the experience as unlike anything they had encountered before. The organisers also expressed their gratitude to President, Rotary Club of Greater Calcutta, Rtn. Prasun Mukherjee, Ex-Commissioner of Kolkata Police, for his support.
As the convoy crossed Nivedita Setu, it was escorted by Barrackpore Police. Responsibility was subsequently handed over in a seamless sequence to Hooghly Police, Bardhaman–Asansol Police and finally Birbhum Police, who escorted the rally all the way to its destination.
The continuous police escort and coordinated handover across jurisdictions ensured that the long-distance rally proceeded smoothly and safely. Participants described the seamless coordination as a “very rare experience.”
A Second Flag-Off at the Midway Point
After reaching the mid-point and taking a lunch break at Bardhaman’s Charnock’s Stop, the rally received a second flag-off from District Governor Dr. Asim KantiAdhikary of Rotary International District 3240.
All the cars—subsequently reached Panthanibas, Santiniketan one after another. The arrival of the long convoy of Rotary-branded vehicles created what participants described as a “superb scene” in the cultural heartland associated with Tagore.
Evening Celebration and Prize Distribution
The day concluded with an evening programme and prize distribution ceremony held at Bandhan School of Business, Bolpur Road, beginning at 8:00 PM.
The closing programme was professionally curated and featured a dance troupe from Durgapur, adding a cultural dimension to the celebrations.
Prizes were presented by District Governor Dr. Asim KantiAdhikary (District 3240).
In a notable gesture of inclusivity and recognition, every participant received a memento signed by both District Governors—DG Tapas Bhattacharya of District 3291 and DG Dr. Asim KantiAdhikary of District 3240. The gesture underscored the joint nature and shared spirit of the initiative.
The programme concluded at approximately 9:45 PM.
Strong Support from Business and Media Partners
The Rotary Sampreeti Car Rally 2026 received support from several business houses that came forward to strengthen the initiative. These included Rudra Group, Coca Cola, Mio Amore, Sree Balaji, BrandMan, Balaji Nivesh and Soil & Enviro Industries.
91.9 Friends FM was the Official Radio Partner of the event.
The organisers acknowledged that an initiative of this scale would not have been possible without the active support of the donors, sponsors and the District Teams of Rotary International Districts 3240 and 3291, including the Rally Team.
The Rotary Sampreeti Car Rally 2026 thus brought together history, community participation, fellowship and a contemporary commitment to harmony—taking the spirit of Tagore’s message beyond symbolism and onto the roads of Bengal.
Jay Rotary, Jay Hind.
