Mahasweta Devi

Santiniketan, Nov. 28: Wri- ter-activist Mahasweta Devi and several other Santinike- tan residents today demolished a concrete pillar built to demarcate the boundary of a housing project, protesting against the urbanisation of the university town.

They have been saying that Udayan, a Bengal Ambuja project near Purvapalli, around 195 km from Calcutta, would disrupt the ecological balance of the Khoai, a laterite zone.

Mahasweta said the pillar was blocking the path used by villagers to reach Santiniketan. “People from surrounding villages come to see a mela in Santiniketan using the path.”

She arrived here yesterday to attend a seminar on Tagore’s ideas on education organised by Visva-Bharati.

Bengal Ambuja officials lodged a complaint with the district authorities this afternoon charging “some unknown persons” with trespassing into their territory and bringing down a pillar.

“An inquiry has started and the police have got some names of those involved in the incident,” said Khalil Ahmed, the Birbhum district magistrate. “We wanted to talk to those who don’t want the project but they are not ready to discuss the matter with us.”

The residents of the area have formed the Khoai Banchao (save Khoai) Committee.

Mahasweta said that students of Patha Bhavan — the school run by Visva-Bharati — were also saddened by the decision to allow a condominium in the area. “They told me that they lost a good place for outing after the project started two years ago. We also want to see the pollution control board’s clearance certificate that says the project is not causing any harm to the environment.”

A Class VII student said they used to go to the Khoai for nature study. “Now we go to the Binay Bhavan ground. The earlier place was better.”

Under instructions from the district magistrate, Bolpur subdivisional officer Utpal Biswas went to ashramite Partha Ghosh’s house in Purvapalli and met Mahasweta.

Santiniketan-Sriniketan Development Authority executive officer Ashok Das said: “The project is following all rules and regulations. It is not fair if some one goes and pulls down its pillars.”