The locked gate of Rabindra Bhavan in Balurghat. Picture by Abhijit Chakrabarty

Balurghat, May 9: Poets and singers of the town, not to forget district secretary of the CPM Manabesh Chowdhury, have taken exception to the way the district information and cultural affairs department failed to organise a programme to celebrate the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore here today.

The department had apparently cancelled its official programme since it was too tied up with preparations for the elections, which got over yesterday.

?This is unthinkable,? said Chowdhury, who, like every year, had come to Rabindra Bhavan here to participate in the morning programme, which is usually held to celebrate the poet?s birth anniversary. After waiting for a while and finding that the gate of the auditorium remained closed even after seven, an impatient Chowdhury and his associates made an enquiry. A rude shock awaited them ? the programme was cancelled since the officials were too bogged down with work for the elections.

The CPM?s district secretary was not the only person, who was left stranded. Pranab Chakraborty, a noted singer of the town also had to return disappointed. ?This is the first time that I had such an experience,? said Chakraborty, who had to leave after waiting in front of the auditorium for almost an hour.

Rahul Bagchi, a local poet and a publisher of a literary journal, has been associated with the programme for a long time. ?Before Rabindra Bhavan was built in 1989, we used to celebrate Gurudev?s birth anniversary at the very spot where the auditorium now stands,? Bagchi said.

District information and cultural officer Barun Saha said they could not organise the programme since all the staff of his department were away on election duty. Even district magistrate Syed Sarfaraz Ahmed blamed the polls for the miss. ?Not a single staff member was spared because of the polls,? Ahmed said.