A Centre-approved board identifying Santiniketan as UNESCO-approved world heritage site has finally been erected by Visva-Bharati

In place of an earlier installation by the former Vice-Chancellor, Visva-Bharati has finally installed a Center-approved board designating Santiniketan as a UNESCO-approved world heritage site and mentions Rabindranath Tagore.

The university founded by Debendranath Tagore, Visva-Bharati, was named after his son Rabindranath. In mid-September of this year, UNESCO designated Santiniketan as a World Heritage Site. Shortly after, plaques commemorating the location appeared, bearing the names of only two people: then-vice-chancellor Narendra Modi and vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty.

This action caused a stir, as many who opposed the then-V-C described it as an attempt to obliterate Tagore. Political parties also entered the dispute, putting the then-administration on the defensive and claiming that the names of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor were only there for verification and that the plaques were simply temporary markers of the heritage area. 

At last, in late November, the Ministry of Education authorised documents written in Hindi and English by the Archaeological Survey of India were transferred to Visva-Bharati for editing and translation into Bengali. After the university established a committee for that reason, a trilingual board was presented on Wednesday night.

The recently installed inscription states, "Santiniketan continues to stand as a beacon of intercultural dialogue and artistic expression, nurturing the spirit of innovation and harmony," in addition to providing a brief overview of the heritage site. Rabindranath Tagore's vision of a place where all creatures settle into one nest and resonate with the ageless search for knowledge and unity in variety is still evident.

It also has a footnote that reads, "The text on this board is the officially approved statement of the UNESCO recognition of heritage status as endorsed by the Ministry of Education," in an attempt to quell any potential issue. As soon as the permanent plaque is prepared, it will take the place of this temporary board.