FACE-OFF

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 6
THIS TOO had to happen in Kolkata. For over five months, Rabindranath Tagore faced a short of identity crisis at the Calcutta University (CU). Though the problem seemed to have ended after the universities authorities dismantled a poorly made bronze statue of the Nobel laureate, it has undoubtedly sparked a major row.
The statue was installed on the poet’s birthday this year by the Bengali department’s alumni association. But the statue looked more like Jharkhand Mukhti Morcha chief Shibu Soren than Tagore. Placed bang opposite the Darbhanga Building on the varsity’s College Street campus, the statue became a centre of discussion for its shocking looks. Following criticism of the statue from various quarters, the university finally dismantled it on December 1.
But Ashok Kundu, general secretary of CU Bengali Department Alumni Association, is angry for the treatment meted out to the statue. “We are shocked to see that the university removed the statue without even bothering to inform us. Tagore had once taught in this university for two years and there was no statue of his here. The manner in which the statue has been uprooted has been an insult to us and Tagore lovers,” he said.
The alumni association alleged that vice-chancellor Ashish Banerjee had refused to explain the move. Talking to Hindustan Times Banerjee, however, clarified: “Many people had complained that the statue did not look like Tagore. Even many syndicate members held the same opinion, so we have removed it. We will soon replace it with another Tagore’s statue.”
But the alumni association is not ready to buy the argument. They say the statue was crafted based on a photograph of Tagore taken during his Nobel prize felicitation lecture at CU. The picture was clicked by Bourne & Shepherd, one of the oldest photo studios in the world, and was published in the special edition of the Kolkata Gazette. Renowned sculptor Sunil Pal had overseen the casting of the statue.
“There cannot be any controversy with the look of the statue. The fibre cast was shown to the vice-chancellor and only after he gave the green signal the statue was cast in bronze,” said Kundu.
“At statue unveiling ceremony, transport minister Subhash Chakraborty was present along with many other luminaries and university officials. No one had found anything wrong with it,” he added.
On December 9 the alumni association will register its protest at its annual meeting. “We will launch a signature campaign. Luminaries like Sankha Ghosh, Samaresh Mazumdar, Amlan Dutta and Mahasweta Devi will write about it and the booklets will be distributed to the public,” Kundu said.
After the eight-feet tall statue was brought down, university officials have placed flowerpots in the area. The statue was made at a cost of Rs 8 lakh, which included funds from various alumni and government.
“We will approach chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who was a student of Bengali, and governor-chancellor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the issue,” Kundu added.
Writer Sankhya Ghosh feels hurt by the incident. “I personally do not believe that a personality can be respected through statues. But when one was put up in the university it could not have been done with official nod. If the university has dismantled the statue without informing the people behind it, l feel it is wrong.”
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com