Assembly of Journalists holds protest over vandalism at Rabindranath’s ancestral home

The protest over violence and vandalism at the ancestral home of Nobel-laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh’s Sirajganj district has been continues in different parts of the state and on Sunday in Agartala, organizations of journalists and cultural artists including Assembly of Journalists (AoJ) staged protest in front Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan.

The ancestral home of Nobel-laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore at Kacharibari area of Bangladesh's Sirajganj district attacked on June 8. In protest against this, a protest meeting  of journalists, artists, writers and intellectuals by the initiative of the Assembly of Journalists (AoJ), drew participation from several prominent members of Tripura’s media fraternity and cultural society. The gathering expressed outrage over the vandalism of the ancestral house of Nobel-laureate and voiced serious concerns over the growing incidents of communal violence targeting minorities in Bangladesh.

Earlier, ruling BJP hit the streets in Agartala over violence and vandalism at the ancestral home of Nobel-laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore and they had also staged a massive protest near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) demanding the resignation of the country’s interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.

BJP supporters shouting slogans against the interim Yunus government in Bangladesh  said  “Rabindranath lives in our heart”  organized a large protest rally in Agartala  last week before their protest in front of Bangladesh Assistant High Commission office .

The BJP earlier organised a road march to the Agartala Integrated Check Post (ICP) and held a candle march in the city in protest against vandalism at Rabindranath’s ancestral property in Bangladesh, also known as Rabindra Kachharibari or Rabindra Memorial Museum in Sirajganj district.

While speaking in the Sunday’s protest, veteran editor Sanit Deb Roy strongly condemned the vandalism of Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home in Bangladesh, calling it a shocking attack on cultural heritage.

He said that the present regime of Bangladesh is powered by extremist elements and is taking no action against the perpetrators of attacks on Rabindranath’s ancestral home and they continue endless violence under the full watch of the interim government.

He urged both India and Bangladesh governments to take firm action, emphasizing that Tagore belongs to the world and such acts of intolerance threaten shared history, harmony, and the values of humanity.

He termed the act as a blow to literature, culture and humanism. “Tagore is the architect of the national anthem of both India and Bangladesh," said Deb Roy and demanded exemplary punishment for those who are involved in the shocking incident.

He also said that the barbaric incident of attack and vandalisation at the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh has shocked people in India.

He said that such an attack on the shared cultural heritage is totally unacceptable. “There must be a limit to such atrocious actions. The properties and heritage relating to a towering cultural icon like Tagore have not been spared in Bangladesh. Such acts are an unforgivable crime,” said Deb Roy.

 During the protest meeting, veteran editors like Subal Kumar Dey and Pranab Sarkar also delivered their addresses protesting barbaric attacks on Tagore's ancestral house.

Many prominent cultural artists like Tithi Debbarman, Amar Ghosh,  Sudipta Shekhar Mishra along with others condemned the incidents and called for immediate intervention of the Bangladesh government to ensure the protection of cultural heritage and minority rights.

The protest also highlighted the need for stronger diplomatic dialogue to ensure such incidents are not repeated and urged the international community to take note of the deteriorating situation of the neighbouring country.