Sir — Although Swapan Dasgupta’s views in the article, “Wall of contention” (Aug 20), are not entirely free of political colour, he has rightly underlined several plausible reasons why the Visva-Bharati administration could have been compelled to construct the wall around the university grounds. Dasgupta admits that “[i]n itself, the enclosure of an open space is undesirable and not in keeping with the ethos of [Rabindranath] Tagore’s Santiniketan.” But it is also true that the National Green Tribunal had ordered the construction of a barrier to demarcate the mela ground from the university premises and the neighbourhood, so that the Pous Mela celebrations could be managed better. Almost every year, the mela continues beyond the stipulated three days, leaving behind a “mountain of litter”, and the university must bear the brunt of this.

As the name suggests, Visva-Bharati is internationally known as the ideal site for the interaction of all cultures. Santiniketan is meant to be an abode of peace. As such, the fact that the place has been witness to frequent disturbances in the last few years is unfortunate. The recent incident is bound to cast a pall of gloom beyond borders. Everyone must come together to restore the congenial atmosphere of this centre of learning.

Sanjit Ghatak,
South 24 Parganas

Sir — Rabindranath Tagore believed that the Bengali elite should not turn its back on the villages. Unless there was a union between the town and the village, the rich and the poor, the folk and the mainstream, it would not be possible for a truly inclusive education system to evolve. The Pous Mela, organized by Visva-Bharati, is perhaps one of the best examples of this union. It not only provides employment in Birbhum, but also boosts tourism. During a year in which the pandemic has led to a number of people losing their sources of income, perhaps holding the mela with proper regulations in place would be all the more important.

Swapan Dasgupta seems to imply that the Trinamul Congress is attempting to corrupt the ambience of Visva-Bharati, by trying to exert political control over the Central university. Surely it is not believable that the Centre is a politically neutral entity?

Santiniketan has never been solely for ‘ashramites’. Many of the “businessmen” referred to in a disparaging tone in the article are also the products of Santiniketan. Every resident, whether a rickshaw puller or a badam seller, genuinely believes that the heritage of Santiniketan is their own.

Chandana Dey,
Santiniketan

Sir — It is distressing that the recent disturbances in Visva-Bharati have reduced the hallowed place to a site for a political battle. Rarely have artists, writers, poets and other intellectuals of Bengal been vocal enough about the whittling away of the values of the ancient Tapovan system on which Rabindranath Tagore based Visva-Bharati.

The Pous Mela, too, has suffered over the years. Unlike the usual trade and craft mela like the Delhi haat, the Pous Mela has deep spiritual roots. With the provision made by Debendranath Tagore, it is perhaps the only mela that still begins with ‘Brahma Upasana’ on the seventh of Pous. The open ground or mukt prangan of the mela embodies its essence of inclusivity. If the Kumbh Mela can be held safely for centuries, one does not see why the Pous Mela cannot be organized in a similar way, with the Centre and the state collaborating over the overall management. This is not a local issue but a cause close to the hearts of many, not only in Bengal but across the country.

Sunipa Basu,
Calcutta

Sir — It is not surprising that the Visva-Bharati authorities are facing problems on account of the Pous Mela management. But more is expected of them than just settling for easy tactics such as the building of a wall, especially when it clearly opposes the vision on the basis of which the university was created. This is not to condone any act of vandalism in retaliation. We must all rise beyond such petty actions and retaliations, join hands in our efforts and ensure that the Pous Mela regains its former glory.

Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay,
Howrah

Laugh it off

Sir — The decision of the mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, to rename the city’s sewage plant after the comedian, John Oliver, is hilarious. Oliver, as is his wont, cracked a joke about Danbury in one of his recent episodes. In retaliation, the mayor compared Oliver with the sewage plant, both of which, according to him, are full of waste. It is unlikely that the comedian will take offence at this humorous rebuttal. But as a resident of India, one wonders how many hours it would have taken for a politician to lodge a complaint against the comedian had such an incident occurred here.

Arpita Chaklader,
Calcutta