TMC remodels ancestral dwelling of Rabindranath Tagore as social gathering unit

A piece of Jorasanko Thakurbari, the ancestral dwelling of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, has been illegally remodelled into the workplace of Trinamool Shikshabandhu Samiti.

The partitions of the Maharshi Bhawan, which has been witness to the Bengali renaissance, have been painted inexperienced in color. The shade of doorways and window panes, to not neglect the flooring, have additionally been tampered with by the employee’s wing of the ruling social gathering.

It is believed that Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the lyricist of the Indian National track ‘Vande Mataram,’ and Tagore met for the primary time within the mentioned room. Today, the identical partitions are ‘adorned’ with two mammoth-size pictures of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

A small portrait of Rabindranath Tagore is positioned between the 2 footage of the TMC politicians. The room was been remodelled regardless of the categorisation of the Maharshi Bhawan as a ‘Grade 1 Heritage’ constructing.

The contentious transfer was nonetheless defended by the unit President of Trinamool Shikshabandhu Samiti, Subodh Dutta Chowdhury. While talking to Anandabazar Patrika, he claimed, “We just wanted a place to sit for our members.”

“I have written permission from the secretary of the university. No additional construction was done. The room was just cleaned,” he alleged. Chowdhury additional claimed that the Maharshi Bhawan was additionally used as a Union workplace through the reign of the Left events in West Bengal.

Chowdhury defended, “Rabindranath is above our head, Mamata is in our heart.” According to the officers of the college, the campus upkeep contractor was coerced into remodelling the Maharshi Bhawan by Trinamool Shikshabandhu Samiti.

PIL and intervention of the Calcutta High Court

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed earlier than the Calcutta High Court by a petitioner named Swadesh Majumdar, by means of his lawyer Sreejeev Chakraborty.

“The room in which Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay interacted for the first time has been remodelled completely. Now pictures of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are hanging on the wall,” the PIL learn.

The Maharshi Bhawan is the a part of the constructing the place Rabindranath spent his childhood. It has been illegally occupied by an workplace of the varsity’s staff’ wing run by the ruling Trinamool Congress,” it additional added.

The matter got here up earlier than a Division Bench of Justice R Bharadwaj and Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava. The Calcutta High Court directed the administration of Rabindra Bharati University and the West Bengal authorities to guard the heritage constructing from being tampered.

Following the instructions of the court docket, TV9 Bangla knowledgeable that the banner of ‘Trinamool Shikshabandhu Samiti’ was eliminated. However, the congregation of party-affiliated staff didn’t cease regardless of the High Court’s order.

Response of varsity and Opposition events

While talking in regards to the matter, Vice-Chancellor of the Rabindra Bharati University, Sabyasachi Basu Roy Chowdhury, denied granting any permission for building work.

He mentioned, “The act (by Trinamool Shikshabandhu Samiti) is highly condemnable. Now, the HC has intervened. We noticed this two-three months ago. I tried to stop this, but I was told the people who could be involved were the supporters of the ruling party.”

Chowdhury lamented that regardless of instructions on the contrary, nothing was completed owing to political stress. “Several officials and I were under pressure. It was difficult for us to work,” he conceded.

@MamataOfficial ‘s staff haven’t solely created an workplace in JORASANKO THAKURBARI but additionally modified the color of the wall, broke the rooms &hung footage of CM

How are you able to contact a Heritage Building mam?

KOBI GURU is our sentiment,love,life

Do not DARE play with it!!!

— Agnimitra Paul BJP (@paulagnimitra1) November 9, 2022

BJP chief Agnimitra Paul has hit out on the ruling dispensation within the State. “Mamata Banerjee’s workers have not only created an office in Jorasanko Thakurbari but also changed the colour of the wall, broke the rooms & hung pictures of CM,” she tweeted.

“How can you touch a Heritage Building mam? Kobi Guru (Rabindranath Tagore) is our sentiment, love, life. Do not dare play with it!!!” she additional cautioned.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sujan Chakraborty remarked, “All this is being carried out with the help of Nabanna (State Secretariat). TMC is scared as people are against their move.”

TMC tries to distance itself from the controversy

Interestingly, the ruling Trinamool Congress has cried foul and claimed that it has no affiliation with the Shikshabandhu Samiti.

TMC legislator Santanu Sen claimed, “Our party doesn’t have any association with any organisation named Sara Bangla Trinamool Sikha Bandhu Samiti. Our party will take the necessary action against it.”

This is although India Today was capable of entry a letterhead of ‘Sara Bangla Trinamool Sikha Bandhu Samiti’, which bore the picture of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.