The Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan, has said announced that despite the emergence of a consensus on holding the heritage ‘Poush-Mela’ again, after a gap of few years, the varsity has decided to consult and seek guidance from the NGT (National Green Tribunal) on pollution control norms. Notably, the Shantiniketan has been organising the traditional ‘fair’ since 1951. For this year through, the Poush-Mela will be organised on a smaller scale.
Held on the 7th day of the bengali ‘Poush’ month which falls in December, the fair was first organised by ‘Maharshi’ Debendranath Tagore father of Visva-Bharati founder Rabindranath Tagore, in 1894, to showcase handicrafts, heritage and culture of Bengal, with special emphasis on the Birbhum district. However, the fair couldn’t be organised in 2020 and 2021, due to Covid-19 outbreak, and again in 2022, pertaining to logistical issues being faced by the organisers.
“The executive council of Visva-Bharati met on the 1st of December 2023 to exclusively discuss the Poush Mela. Members….have arrived at a collective consensus in the meeting that Visva Bharati is positive and open towards the mela taking place this year,” the institute was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency PTI.
In the wake of organising the heritage fair this year, the council has decided to seek suggestions and directives from the National Green Tribunal and ensure a check on the pollution control factors raised by the NGT earlier, the statement was further reported as saying.
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“The council has proposed contemplating the possibility of a manageable smaller mela for this year,” the statement was further quoted as saying, underlining the difficulties in conducting the fair on a larger scale this year considering the presence of over 3,000 stalls in 2019. Once the NGT drafts guidelines, meetings will be held with the state administration to strengthen up the infrastructure and amenities available at the fair.
In the meantime, former Visva-Bharati officiating Vice Chancellor Sabujkali Sen has said that it would be difficult to organise the fair this time with 20 days in hand. “In our time, preparations for the fair would start from October. Now with the ground being fenced by the former VC and very little time left, I don’t know how everything can be planned considering public safety. People will come to Poush Mela whether it is held on a big or small scale,” she was reported as saying by PTI.
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