Tagore is emotion, his memory cannot be obliterated: Bengal Governor on row over plaques at Visva-Bharati

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose – also the rector of Visva-Bharati, a central university at Santiniketan in West Bengal, on Wednesday, said that Rabindranath Tagore’s memory cannot be obliterated, or ignored.

The newly plaques installed at Santiniketan (initially a residential school established by Tagore that later transformed into a university), following UNESCO's inscribing of the place on its world heritage list carry PM-Chancellor, and vice chancellor’s names, and do not mention Tagore. 

The development has stirred controversy. Governor Bose’s remarks came as a response to a query, in a media interaction at Raj Bhavan Kolkata.

“There are certain values which can find no compromise. Eternal truths, eternal feelings cannot be changed. Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur, for everyone in Bharat who sings the jana gana mana (National anthem), Gurudev is a feeling, an emotion felt in the blood…,” Bose said.

Bose added that Tagore symbolises the best that is there in the cultural culmination of the nation. “There cannot be any instance where Gurudev’s memory is obliterated, ignored. Gurudev enjoys the highest respect in all the minds of Indians…. There is no question of, in any manner… obliterating the revered memory, valued sacred memory, of Gurudev,” he added.

The plaques have generated much heat, and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee had recently asked the university to make necessary changes. Else, she had warned of an agitation.

Governor’s response on compensation to Tata for Singur-plant losses

Asked to respond on an Arbitral Tribunal award of compensation to Tata Motors Limited for the loss of capital investments in the setting up of the automobile-manufacturing facility in Bengal’s Singur, Governor Bose said, "It is up to the constitutional machineries in India to take it up in whichever manner it is within the legal framework under Constitution of India”.

The governor, however, refrained from responding when asked if the state government should appeal, and proceed legally, ahead, after the development.