Visva-Bharati courts controversy
Announces lecture on reasons of BJP’s defeat in Bengal polls, cancels later
The Visva-Bharati authorities courted a major controversy after they uploaded a notice on the Central university’s website on Wednesday about a virtual lecture on the reasons behind the BJP’s whitewash in the West Bengal Assembly polls.
The proposed online event, “Why BJP failed to win West Bengal Assembly Elections” by Niti Aayog joint advisor Prof. Sanjay Kumar, was part of the Visva-Bharati Lecture Series and vicechancellor Prof. Bidyut Chakrabarty was scheduled to preside over the programme on May 18.
A notice inviting people to attend the lecture to be held at 4 pm on May 18 via Zoom platform was posted on the central university’’s website earlier in the day.
“Visva-Bharati cordially invites you to the lecture by Prof. Sanjay Kumar, in the Visva-Bharati Lecture Series. The title of his talk is “Why BJP failed to win West Bengal Assembly Election?” Prof. Kumar is joint advisor, Niti Aayog, Govt. of India and formerly Director of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), New Delhi,” the notice stated.
The political topic instantly infuriated people cutting across barriers at Shantiniketan and beyond. Supriyo Tagore, a family member of poet Rabindranath Tagore, whose brainchild V-B is, said, “Politics never existed in Visva Bharati. Rabindranath Tagore also did not like it. But politics has taken control of Visva Bharati now. It is unfortunate and an injustice.” Saoni Chakraborty, a student, alleged, “We condemn such events on the interests of a particular political party.”
Hit by the massive uproar, the V-B authorities later replaced the notice with another stating, “Due to some unavoidable circumstances, this lecture is treated to be as cancelled for the time being.” Later the second notice could not be found also.
Dulal Chandra Ghosh, a V-B executive council member who is also a nominee of Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the central university: Narendra Modi, claimed, “The V-C is behind all such events to save his job. He initiates these exercises but blames the BJP.”