On the occasion of the 161st birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the Paschimbang Bangla Academy had announced a new award to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He was given this award in a government program. Now many litterateurs have come out against the decision of the Academy. Bengali writer Ratna Rashid Bandopadhyay returned his award to the Academy.
Similarly, Anandiranjan Biswas, a member of the General Council of Sahitya Akademi (Eastern Region), resigned from the Bengali Advisory Board. The award given to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be given once in three years. This award is to be given to such a person who creates creation even though he is not mainly from the field of literature. Education Minister Bratya Basu had announced on Monday that he would be given an award for the Chief Minister’s creation Kobita Bitaan. Since then, the protest against this decision started on social media.
Ratna Rashid was given the Anand Shankar Ray Memorial Award in 2019. She wrote a letter to Paschimbang Bangla Academy saying that she would soon send the Moment and Award office. He said, I have come to know that Paschimbanga Bangla Academy is going to give award to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. By doing this the academy is only setting a condemnable example and it is an insult to such people who dedicate their life to literature.
Although Anandi Ranjan Biswas did not mention Mamta Banerjee in his letter, yet he also pointed in the same direction. Let us inform that the Education Minister is the President of Paschim Bangla Academy. Mamta Banerjee was present on the stage during the award distribution but she herself did not accept the award. Basu accepted it instead of Mamata Banerjee. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is the head of the Ministry of Culture.