A meeting on Saturday called by Visva-Bharati to discuss Pous Mela was cancelled, with VC Bidyut Chrakrabarty keeping a minister and bureaucrats waiting.
“The meeting was cancelled as the person (VC Chakrabarty) who called it did not turn up even after we waited for over an hour. The local MLA and MSME minister Chandranath Sinha waited with us. I called him (the VC) up twice but he did not take my calls. It was an unexpected experience,” said Birbhum district magistrate Bidhan Ray.
The century-old fair, started by Rabindranath Tagore’s father Maharshi Debendranath in 1894, has not been organised since 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak. Last year, the Bengal government held a smaller version on state government land.
Sources said Saturday’s meeting was called by the VC. Sinha, Ray and some senior district officials and police officers were invited to discuss aspects of organising the Pous Mela at 3.30pm at the central library conference hall of Visva-Bharati. The minister and officials reached the venue on time.
“We waited for around half an hour and called him repeatedly. He did not take calls and finally after waiting for an hour we decided to leave. I will inform senior officials in Nabanna about the attitude of varsity authorities and its vice-chancellor,” Ray.
Sinha chose to directly attack the VC. “Under this VC, it has become a practice to stop holding all rituals or festivals of Santiniketan and destroy Tagore’s legacy. He is doing this ever since he joined as VC. But like last year, we will organise Pous Mela on state government land,” Sinha said.
Visva-Bharati officials said the VC did not attend the meeting as students were demonstrating near his residence.
“It was for security reasons that the VC did not step out,” said varsity spokesperson Mahua Banerjee.
A senior police officer said a police team went to receive the VC with protection but he did not turn up. “There was no communication from police that they will bring him to the meeting venue with security,” said a senior varsity official.
