Bengal: Padma Shri awardee Purna Das Baul seeks return of land from Birbhum admin

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) Veteran Bengali folk singer and Padma Shri awardee Purna Das Baul on Tuesday alleged that his land was seized during the previous Trinamool Congress government’s rule.

After the change in government, the Baul artist and his son, Dibyendu Das Baul, approached the District Magistrate of Birbhum to reclaim the land.

It has been alleged that local mafia forcibly occupied about four bighas of land belonging to Purna Das Baul in Kamarpara, Ilambazar area of Birbhum district. The 93-year-old Baul singer alleged that Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal and former state minister Chandranath Sinha were behind the occupation.

Dibyendu Das Baul said: “For a decade and a half, the land mafia has been gradually occupying our four bighas of land. Anubrata Mondal and Chandranath Sinha have supported this. We have made many complaints and shown all the land documents, but there was no result. I informed the District Magistrate about everything today. He said that he will look into the matter seriously.”

Purna Das Baul has 10 bighas of land on the roadside in the Kamarpara area under Ilambazar police station. Allegedly, local mafias have been forcibly occupying more than four bighas of land little by little for the last one and a half decades.

In this regard, the Baul singer had written a complaint to the Bolpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Birbhum District Magistrate, and the district’s Land and Land Reforms Department in 2023.

Despite the administration’s efforts then, the land could not be recovered. Purna Das Baul had also complained to then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but his family alleged that no solution was found even then.

On Tuesday, the veteran Baul artist approached Birbhum District Magistrate Dhaval Jain. The singer’s family expressed optimism about getting the land back after the BJP government came to power in the state. The District Magistrate assured the Baul singer that he would look into the matter seriously.

Purna Das Baul, 93, who currently uses a wheelchair, is called ‘Baul Samrat’ for promoting Baul songs worldwide. He was born in Birbhum district, known as Baul-Bhum. In 2013, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri for his special contribution to Baul music.

–IANS

sch/dan