West Bengal: Guv CV Bose Sought Report From VBU VC Over Tagore's Name On New Plaque

Kolkata: Governor of West Bengal C.V. Ananda Bose in his capacity as Rector of Visva Bharati University (VBU) called for a report from VBU officiating Vice-Chancellor on the proposed action to pay befitting homage to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on the new plaque to mark the grant of global heritage site status by UNESCO for VBU.

It is pertinent to mention that the Governor has already earlier stated that "Gurudev Tagore is revered as the symbol of the cultural sublimity of Bengal, Bharat, and the entire civilised world. Kaviguru should be honoured on the new plaque to be installed on VBU campus."

North Gate To be renamed as 'Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate'

According to the Raj Bhavan sources, which has the status of a grade one national heritage, it has also decided to rename its North Gate as 'Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate'.

It can be recalled that controversy started after the then Vice Chancellor of the central varsity Bidyut Chakraborty installed a plaque with only Chancellor Narendra Modi and his name and the founder of the varsity Tagore's name was not there on the plaque.

CM Mamata slams Chakraborty over plaque row

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also slammed Chakraborty and urged that Tagore's name should be immediately installed in the plaque. Since, her urge fell on deaf ears the Trinamool Congress (TMC) local leaders had also staged demonstration near the campus.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has also had the same demand of installing a plaque with Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's name. A week after Chakraborty retired as the Vice-Chancellor on November 8, the Ministry of Education directed the university to remove the installed plaques and replace them with ones having Tagore's name.

It is heard that a text has also been sent by the Ministry of Education in English and Ma Hindi which will be installed on the plaque.