West Bengal: Center Requests That Visva Bharati University Replace Differing Plaques With Names of Tagore

According to media sources, the Centre has requested that the university replace the dubious plaques on campus that omitted the name of Nobel laureate Bengali poet and Visva Bharati University founder Rabindranath Tagore. This comes after controversy surrounding the plaques.

According to reports, the institution was instructed to remove the plaques and install new ones bearing Tagore’s name by the Union minister of education.

Mahua Bandyopadhyay, a spokesman for Visva Bharati, said to PTI, “We cannot confirm anything about the plaques unless we have a written communique from the Union education ministry.”

About the dispute
Days after Santiniketan was officially recognized by UNESCO on September 17, there was debate. Following UNESCO’s designation of the campus as a World Heritage Site, three plaques honoring the achievement appeared throughout campus, including the names of former Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but omitting Tagore’s name.

On October 26, Visva Bharati was threatened with indefinite demonstrations by party workers on campus unless they changed the plaques right away, according to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After Chakrabarty’s five-year tenure concluded on November 8 and Sanjoy Kumar Mallik, the main VC of Kala Bhavan, assumed the role of officiating VC, the demonstrations were eventually called off.

Mallik promised reporters shortly after assuming office that he would make sure Tagore’s principles and beliefs continue to guide the university’s operations.