I am grateful that you have come for our show despite there being such an important ceremony today,” elocutionist Jagannath Basu told the audience at IPHE hall on Rabindrajayanti. He was referring to the swearing-in of the new chief minister that was happening at the same time at Brigade Parade Ground.

His co-artiste, Urmimala Basu assured him, over the mic, that people wanted to celebrate Rabindrajayanti. “Oh, really? Step out, and you’ll see that you’re the only one not tuned into the ceremony,” Jagannath Basu replied, as the audience at the event organised by Sreenandana, tittered.

This year Rabindrajayanti was on the same day as the formation of the new government, and opinion was divided. “I think they should have spared the day for Tagore. That would have the purest form of respect to the bard,” said Jagananth Basu, adding that he hoped for more support for cultural events from the new government.

Abhijit Majumder, of the Sukanta-Abhijit duo, felt Rabindrajayanti would now be celebrated as a kind of rebirth of the state.

Earlier that day, members of the EE Park-based laughing club Bhorer Nil Akash performed, among others, a version of Tagore’s dance drama Pujarini. “On May 4, as the results of the election were coming in, I took the decision to stage this play,” said Gopa Adhikari, who directed it.

“The play is on the clash between the state and people’s faith. King Ajatashatru bans Buddhist worship, but the court dancer Srimati (played by Nandita Basu and Ranjana Karmakar) ignores the royal mandate to perform her prayers. Our message to the government is to respect everyone’s freedom to worship. In this era of wars, this play was also a message of non-violence, where Srimati never picks up a weapon but wins her war.”

The next day, social and cultural group Aamar Bidhannagar celebrated the occasion too, while still acknowledging the swearing-in ceremony. “Yesterday was a momentous occasion for our state, and we did not want this event to clash with it,” said the group’s president Debashis Sen. “Also, it would have been difficult to get artistes to perform since everyone would have been busy yesterday.”

The group had invited many township-based music, dance and elocution groups to perform, and they were all gifted floral rakhis to tie on their wrists. “This rakhi is symbolic,” said Urmila Sen, who anchored the show at the Unnayan Bhavan auditorium. “The whole week, we have been hearing of Hindus and Muslims across our state. But as we awaken to a new beginning, let us revisit the initiative Tagore took in 1905 when the British divided Bengal on the basis of religion. May the rakhis on our wrists unite us.”

Audience’s dilemma

Residents were confused this year as to whether Rabindrajayanti was being held at Laban Hrad Mancha.

“The last few years, this event would have councillors occupying the front row, but this year I didn’t see any of them in the hall,” said Prasun Bagchi, a BD Block resident in the audience. “In fact, I barely saw any posters of the event. The only one I spotted named an event management company as the organiser, without any mention of the Corporation. It didn’t matter to me as I wanted to watch the singers perform, so I came over anyway.”

The event was organised by Swastic Event Management, helmed by Ashok Panja. “We organise this show every year, and the Corporation helps with its publicity. This year, they had to refrain due to the elections,” said Panja. “The date clashing with the swearing-in has made no difference. The hall is full.”

Those like Dhiren Nag of AB Block came over as Rabindrajayanti is “an emotion beyond politics”. “I can watch the oath-taking later, but my morning had to be dedicated to Tagore.”

Binoy Chakraborty of BC Block couldn’t sacrifice either of the day’s attractions. “I’ve been coming to BD Block for this show for the last three years with my wife, but I also didn’t want to miss the oath-taking. So, I kept checking updates on my phone sitting in the hall,” he smiled.

The excitement was certainly in the air. “We could hear the Prime Minister’s helicopter flying from the airport to Brigade Parade Ground from our house,” said Rina De of AD Block. “We watched the ceremony on TV and came to the venue afterwards.”