INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not confer the 'Desikottam', Visva-Bharati University's highest award, during its convocation ceremony
tomorrow due to paucity of time, an official said.The announcement, however, drew a sharp reaction from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
to international dignitaries not at the annual convocation, but during special convocation programmes organised by the university."For the
time being, the award ceremony is being deferred due to paucity of time
In the 60s too, the award was not conferred due to paucity of time
It was later conferred to eminent personalities," Mr Sen told reporters at Santiniketan.The West Bengal chief minister, however, expressed
"unhappiness" over the decision and said she was "shocked".In April, the Visva-Bharati academic council had proposed to honour Bollywood
megastar Amitabh Bachchan, author Amitav Ghosh, poet Gulzar, writer Suniti Kumar Pathak, Rabidra Sangeet exponent Dwijen Mukherjee,
May.Ms Banerjee, who arrived at Santiniketan today, said, "I am unhappy
Those who were supposed to get the award were not getting it
Amitabh Bachchan's name was there, Dwijen Mukherjee's name was there
They deserve it (the Desikottam)
I am shocked," she said.The chief minister said it was not new for her to attend the (Visva-Bharati) convocation."This time I have come here
as the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh will be there
The convocation is not the place for doing politics
And Visva-Bharati is our pride," she asserted.
