No Decision To Exclude Tagore’s Name From Shantiniketan’s UNESCO Plaque, Says Govt

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the text of the plaque has been finalised as prescribed by the UNESCO Operational Guidelines, 2023.

The Union government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that there has been “no decision” to exclude Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s name on the UNESCO plaque at Santiniketan. Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy said that the text of the plaque has been finalised as prescribed by the UNESCO Operational Guidelines, 2023. 

The remarks from the Union minister came in response to questions raised on the reasons behind the non-incorporation of Rabindranath Tagore’s name on the UNESCO Plaque in Shantiniketan, the criteria used to determine the names included on the plaque, and whether there are plans to revisit the decision.

There is no decision to exclude the name of Rabindranath Tagore on the UNESCO Plaque in Santiniketan,” the Union minister was quoted as saying in his response by news agency PTI. 

“Moreover, the text of the plaque has been finalised as prescribed in UNESCO Operational Guidelines, 2023, which includes the name of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and is aligned with his significant contribution in establishment of Santiniketan,” he was further reported as saying. 

Notably, the Shantiniketan where Gurubed Rabindra Nath Tagore brought the Visva-Bharati University to life was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage in September, earlier this year. India had been trying for a long time to get the Shantiniketan in Birbhum district of West Bengal recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

However, soon after the UNESCO Heritage tag, controversy erupted following the installation of plaques at the Visva-Bharati campus to celebrate Shantinkitetan’s UNESCO World Heritage status. At the centre of the row was the fact that the plaques features PM Modi’s name but had no mention of Rabindranath Tagore. 

Local leaders, students, activists as well as the TMC government in West Bengal government opposed the move and demanded immediate removal of the plaques from the Visva-Bharati campus. However, the Visva-Bharati responded among the row saying that the plaques at the campus were temporary in nature and were meant solely to demarcate the heritage site. The university further said that the work to prepare" a plaque retaining UNESCO's declaration of Santiniketan as a world heritage site and in adherence to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) guidelines, is underway.

(With inputs from PTI)

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