West Bengal: Centre Asks Visva Bharati University To Replace Controversial Plaques With The Ones That Have Tagore's Name

The controversy stemmed days after Santiniketan got the UNESCO tag on September 17 following which three plaques commemorating the honour came up in different parts of the campus splashing the names of PM Modi and the then Visva Bharati VC Bidyut Chakrabarty but did not mention Rabindranath Tagore's name.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 16 November 2023 2:56 pm

Visva Bharati University

Following controversy which unfolded surrounding the questionable plaques in the campus which excluded the Nobel laureate Bengali poet and founder of Visva Bharati Uniiversity Rabindranath Tagore's name, the Centre has asked the varsity to replace the plaques, as per media reports.

It has been reported that the Union education ministry has told the university to remove the plaques and replace them with ones having Tagore's name.

However, Visva Bharati spokesperson Mahua Bandyopadhyay told PTI, "We cannot confirm anything about the plaques unless we have a written communique from the Union education ministry."

About the controversy

The controversy stemmed days after Santiniketan got the UNESCO tag on September 17. After getting UNESCO's recognition as a world heritage site, three plaques commemorating the honour came up in different parts of the campus splashing the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former VB vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty but did not mention Tagore's name.

On October 26, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked Visva Bharati to immediately change the plaques or face indefinite protests by her party activists on the campus.

Finally, the protests were withdrawn after Chakrabarty's five-year term ended on November 8 and Kala Bhavan principal VC Sanjoy Kumar Mallik took over as the officiating VC.

Soon after taking over, Mallik told reporters that he would ensure the ideals and values cherished by Tagore are retained in the university's functioning.