Purno Das Baul meet CM Subhendu Adhikari in Janatar Darbar
But the land was reportedly encroached upon after 2006. Claiming Visva-Bharati sealed their 3.5-bigha plot in Bhubandanga in 2008 despite a court stay order, he said, “Originally, Rabindranath Tagore gave this plot to my father, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, to set up an akhada. That must have been around 100 years ago. At everyone’s request, my father took official responsibility for that plot in 1978, and a lease was obtained from the state,” said Dibyendu (Chhoton). Following unrest in Kopai, the number of the plot, on which the ashram stood, was altered and subsequently sealed within 24 days in 2008. Aditi, Purna Das’s daughter-in-law, told TOI : “In 2021, we saw four buildings coming up on that land.
Those who grabbed our land are known faces,” Purna Das said. He two of his properties in Birbhum—Kamarpara and Bolpur’s Bhubandanga—were tangled in dispute, according to Purna Das. Referring to another four bighas of agricultural land in Illambazar’s Kamarpara, bought in 1977 with tax receipts, Dibyendu said it was illegally sold off during the lockdown by a “non-existent person, named Sukul Tudu”. We believe our complaints were ignored as they knew we would not act according to their wishes,” Dibyendu said. “CM Suvendu Adhikari called the DM and promised the ashram would be functional within months and the other plot would be recovered,” said Dibyendu, adding they would set up a gallery for Purna Das’s awards and honours if they got the land back.
Purna Das and his son, Dibyendu Das Baul, claimed they bought around four bighas of land, located along a road in Kamarpara mouza under Illambazar PS in the 1970s. when Trinamool was in office, but to no avail While Purna Das claimed he filed repeated complaints with the administration during the Left Front govt and later. The baul claimed their grievances were ignored as he refused to toe the line of the parties in office. “I was shocked. I never thought anyone would take over my land. No reason or explanation was given to us. “Back then, there were no papers for it. He added their ancestral property housed an ashram. Purna Das pointed fingers at Visva-Bharati. He added, “The name of Lalan Sheikh, a close aide of Anubrata Mondal, came up. Without his nod, not a leaf moves in Birbhum. We are certain all this was done at his instigation. We immediately lodged complaints with various people, including Chandranath Sinha and Anubrata. A letter was also sent to the former chief minister’s Kalighat office, but we got no response. “After Trinamool came to office, wrote to the then CM’s home and to Nabanna. But nothing came of it.
Kolkata: Ninety-three-year-old Purna Das Baul, a Padma Shri awardee, knocked on the door of Janatar Darbar, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s interactive session with citizens, at the BJP office in Salt Lake on Wednesday, seeking a resolution to a long-standing land dispute. On Tuesday, Purna Das and his son also visited the DM’s office.