Controversy in Visva-Bharati over workshop

A national workshop on heritage and culture at Visva-Bharati University to be hosted by Rashtriya Kala Manch has triggered controversy in the institute founded by Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore. The central university is collaborating with Rashtriya Kala Manch for the workshop and a section of its students and the faculty have alleged that the 98-year-old institution is allowing organizations close to saffron outfits to set up their base in it.

Sudipto Bhattacharya, a professor of the university, told PTI on Saturday that the Rashtriya Kala Manch is an organization that has proximity to ABVP, the student wing of RSS, which should not be allowed to spread its ideas in a place like Visva-Bharati. "We are opposed to Visva-Bharati associating with Rashtriya Kala Manch for any program. We are opposed to the involvement of any group with political leanings in any program of Visva-Bharati," Bhattacharya said.

Leader of SFI's Visvabharati unit, Somnath Sau said: "We are not opposed to a workshop on art and culture but we are against the entry of Rashtriya Kala Manch, an organization known for its closeness to VHP." The program, he claimed, is being held by the university's journalism department in association with Rashtriya Kala Manch, he said. Shivaprasad K Achar, one of the coordinators of the program, said more than 300 students from across the country will participate in the workshop on October 22-23.

"The workshop will concentrate on Indian art and culture, including our glorious past", he said adding that the programs are themed on cultural integration. Rashtriya Kala Manch is working towards promoting art and culture among the people and has no political leanings, Achar said.

The head of Visva-Bharati's journalism department, Biplab Loha Choudhury said the department is now considering whether the program will be deferred due to space crunch as there has been an overwhelming response by participants from all over the country. "The objective of the program is to let the present generation be aware about India's own science, knowledge, and culture. But we will have difficulty in accommodating more than 200 people at the proposed venue. Due to space crunch, we may hold the program later on," he said.