Sad that Tagore’s Nobel Medallion not recovered: Mamata Banerjee targets CBI

The TMC mouthpiece ‘Jaago Bangla’ had attacked the CBI for not attempting to recover the medallion

Under pressure with a number of ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday did not miss an opportunity to target the central agency on the 161st birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore pointing out that the Nobel Prize Medallion of the bard has not been recovered by the CBI.

“I still feel sad that the Nobel Prize (Nobel Prize Medallion) has not been recovered. So much time has passed. The incident dates back to the Left (Front) regime,” the Chief Minister said addressing an event to observe Tagore’s birth anniversary in Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel medallion was stolen from the Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan in State’s Birbhum district in 2004. The investigation was handed over to CBI and the agency closed the case 2007 as it was not able to retrieve the original medallion. In 2008, the investigation was reopened only to be closed by the central agency in 2009.

The Chief Minister pointed out that investigation was handed over to the CBI and “most possibly” the case has been closed. Ms. Banerjee also wondered that whether there is still any evidence remaining that can be looked into.  “This is matter of great humiliation to us that we got the award so early and that was also taken away from us,” she pointed out.  The Chief Minister maintained that the Tagore lives in heart of people of the State and Nobel Prize does not matter to an icon of his stature. Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to receive Nobel Prize in 1913 for literature. On several occasions, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Centre to hand over the case to the West Bengal government.

An article in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) mouthpiece ‘Jaago Bangla’ on Monday was more direct in targeting the CBI. “We want Nobel Medallion back. Take heed CBI,” the headline on the article read.  Meanwhile, the remarks by the Chief Minister and the article evoked reactions from political parties in Opposition, a Trinamool Congress MLA courted controversy and embarrassed the party over his remarks. MLA from Bhatar in State’s Bardhaman district Mangobinda Adhikari said , “Tagore was insulted by being given Nobel Prize and that is the reason why boys from Bengal stole the award.”  The MLA later apologized for the remarks.