West Bengal: Who Are Those Conspiring to Deface the Heritage of Syamaprasad Mookerjee’s State?

• While National leaders of BJP are eulogizing Bengal’s intellectual, physical & spiritual contribution to India etc, today’s West Bengal hardly has traces of her past capabilities.
• Items used by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay are being damaged collaterally for building up a mere shopping mall. Government of West Bengal didn’t initiate to protect the house, or at least the mementos.
• The negelct of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s daughter-in-law’s house ‘ARANYAK’ by West Bengal govt shows the devastation of Bengal’s cultural heritage.
• The Nobel Medal of Tagore is stolen, Visva Bharati Gate got bulldozed, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s heir’s house is being defaced. Who are conspiring to attack the cultural heritage of West Bengal?
• Attempts to remove marks of Hindu Pride from the Hindu Homeland are signs of cultural aggression that West Bengal is facing trans-border

5 months before Assembly Poll 2021, West Bengal is politically transitioned between probability of a U-turn from monotonic decline of socio-economic & intellectual status of the State and of further erosion thereof. Bengal became victim of political conspiracy since Independence exhausting WB of her intellectual & spiritual treasures. Ceaseless brain-drain is the root cause thereof. While National leaders of BJP, on their poll campaign in WB, are eulogizing Bengal’s intellectual, physical & spiritual contribution to India etc, today’s West Bengal hardly have traces of her past capabilities. A large section of Bengal populace lost ability to comprehend. Vain politics dragged Bengal’s merit graph perhaps to its lowest trough.

Mitra Bandopadhyay claimed herself to be daughter-in-law of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay & wrote a post in Facebook. Her house, ‘ARANYAK’ near Barrackpore Railway Station adjacent to Sukanta Sadan Auditorium was about to fall down as a Shopping Mall is under construction for last two years just behind the rear boundary wall of her house. The wall was broken without taking permission from Bandopadhyay family. She repeatedly appealed to the Municipal Administration for no use. Chairman of Barrackpore Municipality promised to repair and/or compensate Bandopadhyays’ material loss, but in vain. 1st Floor of Mitra Bandopadhyay’s house may collapse any day to end up in death of insiders, she & her neighbours are anxious.

Having described in greater detail in Facebook, she wrote many vintage items used by the great Literateur Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay had already been destroyed due to the monstrous construction work. While all items used by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay are meant to be conserved, they are being damaged collaterally for building up a mere shopping mall. Government of West Bengal(GOWB) didn’t initiate to protect the house, or at least the mementos. Had original Bengal-spirit been alive, this massive loss would be unlikely. Does this indicate current elite society of Bengal is insensitive? Does it show meritocratic void of Bengal?

Those who know Bengali Literature, know who was Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay & what was his impact on Bengali psyche. The immortal creation of Satyajit Ray, PATHER PANCHALI is based on Bandopadhyay’s novel ‘PATHER PANCHALI.’ The first ever coloured film by Satyajit Ray, “ASHANI SANKET” was also based on novel ‘ASHANI SANKET’ by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay which portrayed how the life of a priest changed during World War 2 & the great Bengal Famine of 1943. These references may be of help for those who are unaware of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Those who are aware would know about the stalwart Literateur’s innumerable other immortal works of literature each of which touched human mind with great passion & in endless spirituality.

Bibhutibhushan has touched spirituality through nature & overwhelmingly portrayed divine connection between nature & man. To Bandopadhyay, ‘PATHER PANCHALI’ is the depiction of the ETERNAL JOURNEY OF SOUL & ‘PATH’ is the path of eternity. Such a Literateur’s daughter-in-law is crying to save her house from breaking down in present West Bengal. Should Bengalis feel proud of their culture & intellect any more?

The house that is breaking down is named ARANYAK. Those who have read ARANYAK, would not perhaps be able to stand the shock. Man & nature are interweaved together, the soul of both merge in eternity—portrays Novel ARANYAK, a Bengali Classic. Bengali mind used to be sensitive, but not any more. In present West Bengal, Visva Bharati University’s gate be bulldozed & Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s daughter-in-law cries in Social Media to save her house. Architectural design of Visva Bharati’s Gate was approved by Tagore himself having it as the signature design of Visva Bharati. The same design is also present in the University’s Logo. Does this deliberate destruction have no significance?

News of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s daughter-in-law’s house was aired by TV channels, but GOWB took no positive step. These are devastation of Bengal’s cultural heritage & no reason not to suspect an underlying conspiracy. The Nobel Medal of Tagore is stolen, Visva Bharati Gate got bulldozed, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s heir’s house is being defaced. Who are conspiring to attack the cultural heritage of West Bengal? Who are trying to remove marks of Hindu Pride from the Hindu Homeland? Are all these parts of silent cultural aggression that West Bengal is facing trans-border?

In absence of required help from GOWB, people of West Bengal have reasons to expect Arjun Singh, MP of Barrackpore to stand beside Mitra Bandyopadhyay to protect her house & mementos of the great Literateur. Shri J P Nadda claimed BJP to be the true political heir of Bengal having subtle emotions for the Party’s founder President Syamaprasad Mookerjee’s State & traditions. To do justice to such claim, ARANYAK may receive due attention. Had SPM been alive, he would have acted. If the Saffron Party wants to touch the soul of Bengal, this issue may be of significance.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views or position of SamvadaWorld)

Debjani Bhattacharyya

Communication Strategist, Business Consultant & Columnist