Santiniketan, Aug. 16: The national flag was hoisted only at Binoy Bhavan in Visva-Bharati this Independence Day, not in three places on the campus, after a directive by the vice-chancellor.
Apart from Binoy Bhavan, flags were hoisted at Gour Prangan and the agriculture department in Sriniketan.
According to a varsity official, vice-chancellor Sushanta Duttagupta said the flag hoisting programme should be held only at one place as the varsity was considered one.
“He (Duttagupta) had held a meeting with members of the Karmi Mandali last month to discuss the event. The VC felt there should not be three but flag hoisting programme as Visva-Bharati was regarded as one. So, we decided it would be held at Binoy Bhavan,” the official said.
While Gour Prangan is 1.5km from Binoy Bhavan, where BEd classes are held, the agriculture department is 3km away from the prangan, considered the centre of Santiniketan. So, anybody wishing to attend all the three programmes earlier had to travel 4.5km.
Varsity sources said people often complained having to travel the distance for all the three events, which were started six decades ago so that people could attend the venue closest to their home.
“People often complained that they had difficulty travelling around 5km to attend all the three programmes. In the 1950s, modern transport was not available. So, the three programmes were started so that people attended the event closest to their home,” the official said.
A section of teachers and students said it is unhappy with the decision to shift the venue from Gour Prangan to Binoy Bhavan. “It is a tradition to observe Independence Day at Gour Prangan,” said Supriyo Tagore, a former principal of Patha Bhavan.