Fencing of Poush Mela ground at Santiniketan continues for second day

Amid strong police presence, fencing around the heritage Poush Mela ground at Santiniketan by the Visva-Bharati University authorities continued for the second day on Tuesday. It is organised in the month of December. A section of local residents, businessmen and students, under the banner of 'Mela Math Banchao Committee' (save the fair ground committee), held a sit-in in front of the Bolpur fire brigade office, during the day, demanding immediate stoppage of work.

Amid strong police presence, fencing around the heritage Poush Mela ground at Santiniketan by the Visva-Bharati University authorities continued for the second day on Tuesday. An Executive Council member of the university said that construction of a boundary wall, over which there will be barbed wire fencing, began from Monday after a committee appointed by the Calcutta High Court had given its consent with certain specifications.

The committee had met stakeholders in the varsity, locals and the administration to arrive at a solution following the vandalism on August 17 during a protest over erection of the wall around the Mela ground. Poush Mela is an annual cultural event being held for over a century. It is organised in the month of December.

A section of local residents, businessmen and students, under the banner of 'Mela Math Banchao Committee' (save the fair ground committee), held a sit-in in front of the Bolpur fire brigade office, during the day, demanding immediate stoppage of work. A police oficer said, cops were deployed around the ground and water cannon was kept ready to cope with any situation since morning but there was no untoward incident till afternoon.

The university authorities on Monday night sent a written request to the district magistrate and superintendent of police seeking adequate posting of police personnel and imposition of section 144 CrPC apprehending a rerun of the August 17 incident, when a mob went on a rampage, vandalised property of the central university and tore down the heritage gate. However, prohibitory order had not been clamped, the police officer said.