Kolkata: The state observed the 163rd birth anniversary of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore with great enthusiasm on Wednesday. Several programmes were organised, including the one by the state government at the Cathedral Road where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid homage to Tagore along with many eminent personalities of the state, including popular Bengali singers like Indrani Sen and Rupankar Bagchi.
At the Assembly, Speaker Biman Banerjee and state Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay offered floral tribute to the Nobel Laureate. This year, Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) observed the birth anniversary of Tagore in a limited manner at the Jorasanko campus. During the Executive Council (EC) meeting held at RBU on Friday, it was decided that Tagore’s birth anniversary will be observed on a small scale this year and no outsiders will be allowed. According to sources, RBU had sought permission from the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding hosting of Rabindra Jayanti in a similar way that has been happening for years but received no response from the poll panel.
This apart, the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) and Rabindra Tirtha with assistance from the state Information and Cultural Affairs (I&CA) department organised a programme at the Rabindra Tirtha to observe the birth anniversary of Tagore. During the programme, Managing Director (MD) of HIDCO, Sanjay Bansal along with other officials from the HIDCO and I&CA department paid floral tribute to
the poet.
Many eminent singers like Manoj Murli Nayar, Pranati Thakur and others performed. This apart, the Metro Railway and Sealdah Division of the Eastern Railway also observed the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.