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Kolkata:
Several luminaries, together with members of Rabindranath Tagore’s household, have written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee towards the Visva-Bharati authorities, urging her authorities to take possession of a century-old heritage street as they concern that entry to it could be blocked.
Considering the spree of constructing excessive boundary partitions in a number of components of Shantiniketan and making a “prison-like atmosphere”, there are apprehensions that the 3-km street connecting Visva-Bharati with Tagore’s dream village Sriniketan may also be blocked for public quickly and a brand new street come up as an alternative, stated the letter written by 40 eminent individuals, together with a member of painter Nandalal Bose’s household.
“An 8-9 feet high wall is nearing completion on a portion of this old road which is dotted with residences of luminaries like Amartya Sen, Khsitimohan Sen and Nandalal Bose,” the letter written in Bengali stated.
“Once the wall is completed, this road will be out of bounds for residents of Sripally, Simanta Pally, Pearson Pally, Andrew’s Pally, Deer Park, Binoy Bhavan and Sriniketan, and a part of history and heritage of Santiniketan will be lost,” it added.
If an alternate new street is carved out for motion between Shantiniketan and Sriniketan, the previous street might be blocked by Visva-Bharati because the varsity authorities have been enterprise such initiatives “unilaterally” with out making an allowance for the objection of many ashramites and locals, they alleged within the letter.
“If the road is taken back by the state PWD, such an old thoroughfare will not be made inaccessible to the people and the objective of Tagore to set up Visva-Bharati and Shantiniketan will not be lost,” they stated.
The ashramites — the residents of the campus and the neighbourhood, together with former college students and lecturers — stated that they had written to Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty in February towards erecting such excessive partitions however didn’t get any response.
“We hope that the sentiments of those who had been living in this area for ages before Visva Bharati became a central establishment will be given due recognition by you,” they stated within the letter despatched to the chief minister on Thursday.
Among the signatories of the letter had been Supriyo Tagore and Subhra Tagore, descendants of the “Bard of Bengal” and former principals of Pathabhavan and Mrinalini Pathabhavan, moreover Nandalal Bose’s grandson Suprabuddha Sen.
Visva-Bharati authorities weren’t obtainable for feedback.
On August 17, the transfer of Visva-Bharati, based by Tagore in 1921, to construct fencing across the Poush Mela floor triggered violence and the varsity’s properties had been vandalised by a mob.
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