Pandu College Observes International Translation Day with Focus on Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights

 Guwahati, September 30: The Department of English, Pandu College (Autonomous), observed International Translation Day 2026 on Wednesday with an academic session centred on the theme “Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights.” Dr. Maitreyee Sharma, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Pandu College (Autonomous), served as the resource person for the session.

International Translation Day is observed annually on 30 September to recognise the contribution of translation professionals and the important role of translation in facilitating communication and understanding across languages and cultures. The day coincides with the feast of St. Jerome, the renowned Bible translator who is regarded as the patron saint of translators. The celebrations have been promoted by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) since its establishment in 1953. In 1991, FIT launched the initiative for an officially recognised International Translation Day to express solidarity with the global translation community and promote translation as a profession that has become increasingly significant in the era of globalisation. Each year, FIT selects a theme for the observance, with “Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights” being the theme for International Translation Day 2026.

The session explored the significance of translation as a means of carrying literature, knowledge, philosophy and cultural ideas across linguistic boundaries. Speaking on the historical evolution of translation, Dr. Sharma traced its importance to the Buddhist age, when Buddhist principles and teachings were extensively translated into Pali and Prakrit. She also discussed the Bhakti movement, during which translation became a significant means of making religious and literary ideas accessible to wider communities.

The discussion highlighted important examples from the Indian literary tradition, including Madhav Kandali’s Ramayana, which brought the Sanskrit epic into the Assamese linguistic and cultural context.

The session subsequently moved towards modern philosophy and literary theory, with discussions on Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Vienna Circle, Marie Curie, Anne Frank and Jacques Derrida’s Of Grammatology, particularly its English translation by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and many such references and examples. These examples demonstrated the role of translation in making complex philosophical and intellectual works accessible to new linguistic communities.

 

Drawing from her own experiences, Dr. Sharma also spoke about her work and experiences as a translator, offering students insights into the practical dimensions of translation. She has been entrusted as one of the literary translators for a series of children’s history books. Her first translated work, Itihashor Adipath – Nodir Goti, was published in 2023. She has also translated Itihashor Adipath – Pushak Porichoy from Bengali into Assamese as part of a translation project assigned by the Institute of Development Studies Kolkata. She has also edited Anvesana, a collection of articles on philosophy. Currently, she is working on the translation of Plato’s Dialogues, which is expected to be published shortly. She further discussed the growing emphasis on translation under the National Education Policy (NEP) and highlighted the increasing relevance of multilingualism and translation in contemporary education.

An interactive session with the students a followed, during which Dr. Sharma discussed the professional opportunities associated with translation and encouraged students to consider translation as a viable professional field and actively participate in translation-related work.

The programme provided students with a broader understanding of translation as an important academic, cultural and professional practice, while highlighting its continuing role in connecting languages, communities and knowledge systems.