Visva-Bharati has refused to accept the demands of various sections to resume the Poush Mela.
There is growing demand for the reinstatement of the Poush Mela in Shantiniketan – the annual winter fair that began in the fading years of the nineteenth century – but Visva-Bharati refuses to warm to the idea.
The fair, which showcases local culture and crafts, is organized by the Shantiniketan Trust, but traditionally the university has played a key role in its operation, from providing space for stalls to deploying its staff, including teachers, To manage this event.
During its long history, the fair has been disrupted only three times so far – due to the famine of 1943, the great Calcutta killings of 1946 and the pandemic in 2020. Those most affected by the cancellation of the event in 2020 – especially local artisans and traders already hit by the pandemic – were hoping for a resumption of the Poush Mela this year, but the university has so far rejected their pleas. Has not answered.
There aren’t even 10 days left for its traditional inauguration – it usually starts around 23 December – and with no word yet from Visva-Bharati, it looks like the event won’t be held this year. “There is no plan from the university to organize a Poush Mela this year,” a university official said. Hindu, emphatic but asking not to be named.
Last month, the Bolpur municipality (under whose jurisdiction Shantiniketan falls) wrote to the university saying it was ready to take on the responsibility of organizing the mela provided it is given a place, but did not receive a response. Shantiniketan Trust is also understood to have written a letter to the university saying that it was ready to organize the event if Visva Bharati gave it land, water and electricity, but that too did not get any response. Local businessmen also wrote to the university administration, while Baul singers (protesters at the fair) protested, but the university did not respond.
Local organizations are now planning to organize an alternate fair at a different location, but which will be held around the same time as the Poush Mela.
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