Bengal Civil Society Group Protests Invitation to Bangladeshi Singer Rezwana Choudhury Banya for Madhyamgram Festival

Members of a civil society group have expressed their discontent over the invitation extended to Rezwana Choudhury Banya, a renowned Rabindrasangeet singer from Bangladesh. She was invited to perform at a cultural event in Madhyamgram, located in the northern suburbs of Kolkata. This protest comes amid rising anger over recent attacks on Hindus and the desecration of the Indian flag in Bangladesh.

The Madhyamgram Nagarik Samaj, which boasts a membership of approximately 80,000 individuals, has urged the organisers of the Paribesh Mela to cancel Banya's scheduled performance on December 28. In a Facebook post, they stated, "As Indian citizens, we appeal to the organisers of the event at Madhyamgram municipality to cancel the performance of Rezwana Choudhury Banya immediately. Please do not allow any artistes from Bangladesh to perform. Shouldn't the country's honour come before everything else? Please think about the issue."

Protest Against Bangladeshi Artistes

Rupak Dey, a member of the Samaj, voiced his concerns about Bangladeshi artists' silence on issues affecting minorities in their country. He remarked, "No Bangladeshi artistes have come forward to register their protest against the continuing attacks on minorities in their country, nor did they say anything about the desecration of our tricolour by higher education institutions in Bangladesh." He further added that patriotism is paramount for them and they oppose any Bangladeshi singer's performance at this time.

In response to these protests, Nimai Ghosh, chairman of Madhyamgram municipality, clarified that no final decision has been made regarding the list of performers. He stated, "We do not believe in dividing singers based on nationality. This has never been the tradition of our state." Ghosh also mentioned that no formal complaints had been filed with the municipality concerning this matter.

The situation highlights tensions between cultural exchanges and national sentiments amidst ongoing geopolitical issues. The call for cancelling Banya's performance underscores broader concerns about national pride and solidarity with affected communities.