Over 1,000 artistes urge Assam Govt to reopen historic Rabindra Bhawan

Guwahati, Oct 15: Over 1,100 artistes of the State, under the banner of Sanskritik Aikya Mancha, Assam, have demanded the State government to renovate the historic Rabindra Bhawan and open it for the public at the earliest.

In a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, through the chief secretary Dr Ravi Kota, the Mancha appealed to the State government to open the doors of Rabindra Bhawan and the branches of Lalit Kala Akademi and Kala Bithika, which are located on the same premises.

The Rabindra Bhawan has remained closed for more than three years, the memorandum, said. According to the Public Works Department, it was decided to close the building as it is around 50 years old and has some issues relating to electricity, leakage of water during rainy days, among others.

The memorandum further stated that the Rabindra Bhawans located in other cities of the country are older than the Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati and all these structures are still in use for cultural activities. All these structures still remain suitable for use due to regular repairing and maintenance works.

“A number of veteran and eminent artistes of Assam had started their careers from the stage of Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati. So, the closure of the auditorium has adversely impacted the cultural activities in Assam. We request you to take all the necessary measures to repair the auditorium and open its doors within six months,” the memorandum said.

The signatories of the memorandum also demanded the State government to set up a cultural complex at Lachit Ghat in the city. The memorandum also demanded the government to renovate the Rabindra Bhawan with 400-seat capacity.