A wave of anger has swept through the town of Kailashahar in Tripura following the vandalism of a revered poet’s bust.
The incident occurred in the Kajirgaon area of Ward No. 6, under the Kailashahar Municipal Council in the Unakoti district, shortly after political party offices were ransacked during the night after the Lok Sabha poll counting on June 4.
The statue of the esteemed poet Himadri Nandan Deb was found desecrated in the early hours of April 5, leaving the community in shock and dismay.
Himadri Nandan Deb, a luminary in the literary circles of Tripura and the Northeast, was a resident of Kajirgaon until his death on April 1, 2010, at the age of 82.
Himadri Nandan Deb was honored with the Sukanta Smriti Puraskar by the Tripura State Government few years before his demise.
In tribute to his contributions, the local Juba Samaj club erected a statue of the poet at the Tri Junction in Kajirgaon on October 15, 2010. Since then, annual commemorations of his death have taken place at the statue.
The desecration of the poet’s bust has ignited a fierce outcry among poets, literary figures, and the general public.
The news quickly spread on social media, prompting a gathering of citizens at the vandalized site to voice their condemnation. The act has been widely perceived as an assault on the cultural heritage and intellectual pride of the community.
Mohit Lal Dhar, the local councilor and a member of Ward No. 6, addressed the media at the site, vehemently condemning the act. He said the perpetrators must be brought to justice immediately, and the bust should be restored without delay.
The incident has occurred in a tense political climate, following the ransacking of the CPIM Chandipur Area Committee office in Srirampur, Kailashahar, on the night of June 4.
The police are currently investigating both incidents, with assurances of stringent action against those responsible for the vandalism.
(Tripura, Tripura News)
