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Bengal: Santiniketan house of Abanindranath Tagore partially demolished, BJP flays ruling TMC

Kolkata, June 3 (UNI) The partial demolition of a heritage house once associated with legendary painter Abanindranath Tagore in Santiniketan of West Bengal's Birbhum district, has triggered a political hue and cry with the main opposition BJP accusing the Trinamool Congress government of "failing to protect" the state's cultural identity.
The Trinamool Congress-run Bolpur Municipality, on its part has vowed to take action against those responsible for the partial demolition of the house named 'Awas',

A key figure in the Bengal School of Art movement and nephew of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath (1871-1951) lived in the property, which has long been considered a cultural landmark.

Despite a prior notice from the municipality prohibiting alterations, the current owner reportedly employed a real estate developer and demolished substantial portions of the building. Only the gate and the boundary wall bearing the name 'Awas' remain, according to a video of the site that has gone viral on social media.

The demolition came to the fore after BJP IT cell chief and co-incharge of Bengal Amit Malviya wrote on his X handle, “The house of Abanindranath Thakur — Rabindranath’s nephew and a towering figure in Indian art — is being demolished in Santiniketan. Let that sink in.”

“Abanindranath, the second Acharya of Visva-Bharati, the man who gave us the iconic painting of Bharat Mata, and helped define the visual identity of our national spirit — is being reduced to rubble in the name of so-called “development,” he added.

“His son, Alokendranath Thakur, had purchased that house in Santiniketan, where the great artist himself lived. The area even came to be known as “Abanpalli” in his honour. But today, his legacy is being erased — disrespected and destroyed,” he wrote.

Hours after the post, Chairperson of Bolpur Municipality Parna Ghosh expressed concern and confirmed that efforts would be made to preserve what remains of the structure. "We will take action against those who went ahead with the demolition despite the municipality’s notice," she said.

"We will protect whatever remains of 'Awas'. We will take action against those who went ahead with the demolition, ignoring the notice served by the municipality," Ghosh told the media.

Condeming the demolition, the BJP has targeted the ruling Trinamool, alleging it failed to protect Bengal's cultural heritage.
“This is not just an attack on a structure. It is an attack on history, heritage, and Hindu cultural identity. It is time to wake up. If this is what happens in the very land that was carved out to protect and celebrate Hindu Bengali culture, what message are we sending to future generations?” Malviya wrote. UNI XC ARN SSP
Tags: #Bengal: Santiniketan house of Abanindranath Tagore partially demolished# BJP flays ruling TMC
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