Amid growing protests by civil society organizations over the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital, renowned Bengali theatre personality Biplab Bandyopadhyay has taken a strong stand by returning his state-conferred award.
On Tuesday, Bandyopadhyay, an eminent playwright and director, announced that he would return the ‘Best Theatre Director’ award, which was presented to him earlier this year by the Paschimbanga Natya Akademi, along with the associated Rs 30,000 grant.
In a powerful statement, Biplab Bandyopadhyay criticized the state government and the police force, accusing them of attempting to “hide facts” surrounding the incident at RG Kar Hospital on August 9.
“I think the main criteria behind such awards is not one’s talent and merit but sycophancy, unconditional support to the state. I did not realise this while accepting this honour in February,” he remarked, reflecting on his decision.
ALSO READ: All about West Bengal’s Aparajita bill: Death penalty, time-bound investigations and more
Biplab Bandyopadhyay expressed deep frustration and sorrow over the state’s response to the RG Kar incident. “I felt ashamed and aggrieved as a human being and disturbed by the shameless hyper-activism of the state after the R G Kar incident,” he said, explaining that he could not in good conscience retain any state-instituted award after witnessing how the situation was handled.
He further mentioned that he has formally communicated his decision to return the award to the Akademi, emphasizing his disapproval of the state’s actions in this matter.
This move by Biplab Bandyopadhyay follows a similar gesture by the well-known theatre group ‘Samabeta Prayas’ in Malda district, which announced last week that it would return a Rs 50,000 state grant in protest against the government’s handling of the RG Kar issue. Others who announced to return their awards include Sudipta Chakraborty and thespian Chandan Sen.
These actions underscore the widespread discontent and calls for accountability in the wake of the tragic incident, as members of the arts community join the larger chorus of voices demanding justice and transparency.
