MALDA/SILIGURI, 11 JAN: When the whole nation will pay reverence to Swami Vivekananda tomorrow on his 150th birth anniversary, disappearance of his marble bust from a park named after him has generated sharp criticism from all walks of the society. However, the railway authorities, who are assigned to maintain the statue and the park, kept mum on the issue.
Local youths had planned to hold a programme tomorrow to commemorate the National Youth Day at Vivekananda Park located at municipal ward 22 of English Bazaar Municipality (EBM). To their utter dismay, they youths found that the statue of Swami Vivekananda was missing. Worse still, cans and bottles of liquors were placed on the pedestal on which the statue was lodged. The aggrieved youths rushed to the local municipal councillors, Mrs Anju Tiwary and Mr Subhadip Sanya.
Lack of maintenance had turned Swami Vivekananda Park into a den of criminals and goons, people said. “It is now the feasting ground for the drunkards. The criminals have made it their den,” they alleged. Notably, the former secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram of Malda, Swami Divyanandaji, requested the railway authorities to take proper care of the park.
“However, his pleas resulted in only temporary cleaning operations. Soon the park was covered in bushes,” said Mr Subir Das Gupta, a senior citizen. “Last year Swamiji’s birthday was an ordinary even organised by the railway authorities,” Mr Das Gupta said, adding, it was an insult to Vivekananda.
Mrs Tiwary, a Congress councillor said: “None has the right to insult the noble soul of Swamiji. We will soon meet the railway officials and demand a high-level probe into the matter.”
“If the railway authorities cannot maintain the park, they should admit their failure and hand-over the park to the EBM authorities,” she said.
Mr Sanyal, the leader of the Opposition in EBM and a senior CPI-M leader, said if the railway authorities failed then the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) would install a statue at their own cost. Mr Sanyal also demanded the recovery of Swamiji’s statue immediately.
Some children of the locality said the statue was taken away by three persons a few days ago. The railway authorities refused to comment on the issue claiming that they were busy because of the Sahibganj accident today.
The secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram of Malda, Swami Parashranandaji, refused to comment and said: “Swami Vivekananda is not the property of Ramakrishna Math and Mission alone. He is an asset for the nation. Hence, the railway authorities will speak about the issue.”
Celebration at Raiganj College today
This is for the first time Raiganj University College is going to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in a grand way tomorrow. The primary objective behind this seems to be attracting students who have been playing truant since politicised trouble broke out on 5 January. The institute has been hogging the media-headline since some members of the Trinamul Congress’s student affiliate had allegedly beat the teacher-in-charge, Mr Dilip De Sarkar, for refusing to postpone the students’ union election. Though the situation has officially turned normal after a new teacher-in-charge, Prof. Satrughna Singh assumed charge on 9 January, the students keep on abstaining apprehending fresh trouble at the institute. All efforts to make the students return have come a cropper. A senior teacher of the college said that less than nearly 25 per cent of the students have attended classes today. “While groping in the gloom as to how to make student-turnout normal we hit upon the idea that the observance of Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary might work wonders in view of the emotion the student nurture for the rebel monk. We are convinced that the observance would help the students shed their reluctance and the situation would turn normal,” he said. Another teacher, Mr Debashis Biswas, said: “This is for the first time we are going to celebrate Swamiji’s birth anniversary. Apart from the principal programme, another one would be organised at the students’ hostel,” he added.
Local youths had planned to hold a programme tomorrow to commemorate the National Youth Day at Vivekananda Park located at municipal ward 22 of English Bazaar Municipality (EBM). To their utter dismay, they youths found that the statue of Swami Vivekananda was missing. Worse still, cans and bottles of liquors were placed on the pedestal on which the statue was lodged. The aggrieved youths rushed to the local municipal councillors, Mrs Anju Tiwary and Mr Subhadip Sanya.
Lack of maintenance had turned Swami Vivekananda Park into a den of criminals and goons, people said. “It is now the feasting ground for the drunkards. The criminals have made it their den,” they alleged. Notably, the former secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram of Malda, Swami Divyanandaji, requested the railway authorities to take proper care of the park.
“However, his pleas resulted in only temporary cleaning operations. Soon the park was covered in bushes,” said Mr Subir Das Gupta, a senior citizen. “Last year Swamiji’s birthday was an ordinary even organised by the railway authorities,” Mr Das Gupta said, adding, it was an insult to Vivekananda.
Mrs Tiwary, a Congress councillor said: “None has the right to insult the noble soul of Swamiji. We will soon meet the railway officials and demand a high-level probe into the matter.”
“If the railway authorities cannot maintain the park, they should admit their failure and hand-over the park to the EBM authorities,” she said.
Mr Sanyal, the leader of the Opposition in EBM and a senior CPI-M leader, said if the railway authorities failed then the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) would install a statue at their own cost. Mr Sanyal also demanded the recovery of Swamiji’s statue immediately.
Some children of the locality said the statue was taken away by three persons a few days ago. The railway authorities refused to comment on the issue claiming that they were busy because of the Sahibganj accident today.
The secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram of Malda, Swami Parashranandaji, refused to comment and said: “Swami Vivekananda is not the property of Ramakrishna Math and Mission alone. He is an asset for the nation. Hence, the railway authorities will speak about the issue.”
Celebration at Raiganj College today
This is for the first time Raiganj University College is going to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda in a grand way tomorrow. The primary objective behind this seems to be attracting students who have been playing truant since politicised trouble broke out on 5 January. The institute has been hogging the media-headline since some members of the Trinamul Congress’s student affiliate had allegedly beat the teacher-in-charge, Mr Dilip De Sarkar, for refusing to postpone the students’ union election. Though the situation has officially turned normal after a new teacher-in-charge, Prof. Satrughna Singh assumed charge on 9 January, the students keep on abstaining apprehending fresh trouble at the institute. All efforts to make the students return have come a cropper. A senior teacher of the college said that less than nearly 25 per cent of the students have attended classes today. “While groping in the gloom as to how to make student-turnout normal we hit upon the idea that the observance of Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary might work wonders in view of the emotion the student nurture for the rebel monk. We are convinced that the observance would help the students shed their reluctance and the situation would turn normal,” he said. Another teacher, Mr Debashis Biswas, said: “This is for the first time we are going to celebrate Swamiji’s birth anniversary. Apart from the principal programme, another one would be organised at the students’ hostel,” he added.
statesman news service
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