Mamata Banerjee unveils Vidyasagar's bust in Kolkata

Kolkata West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday unveiled a bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the Hare School ground in an event which was attended by Trinamool Congress leaders ministers in the West Bengal government as well as some spiritual leadersThe event was to mark the unveiling of socialreformer Vidyasagars bust As per the event schedule the unveiled bust will now be taken from here to Vidyasagar college where it will be reinstalled at the same place where a similar statue was broken in May during a political clash Moreover the TMC chief will march to Vidyasagar College to participate in the reinstallation event of the bustThe bust of Vidyasagar a 19thcentury social reformer was vandalised in clashes between BJP and TMC workers at Vidyasagar College during BJP president Amit Shahs roadshow on May 14Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 16 promised to build a grand panch dhatu traditional fivemetal alloys of sacred significance statue of Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood before being vandalised Mamata Banerjee however publically denied the proposal by asserting that her state has got enough money to make the structureAccording to West Bengal Information and Cultural Department events related to reinstallation of the bust today are being organised by the states Higher Education and School Education Department in collaboration with the committee for the 200th birth anniversary of VidyasagarVidyasagar who has brought great reforms in the Indian society is often touted as a man who was ahead of his time Mostly recalled for his contribution in introducing concepts of widowremarriage in the traditional society he is referred to as a philosopher writer reformer printer and philanthropistHe was most influential in campaigning for widowremarriage and fought against many traditionalists to get an act passed in its favour He invoked scriptures did print campaigns and engaged in debates to get his point acrossIt was with his continuous efforts that the Widow Remarriage Act was passed in July 1856 and the first such documented marriage also took place in Kolkata Vidyasagar was also instrumental in spreading awareness against the practice of polygamy prevalent in some sections of higher casts of societyBefore getting into social reforms Vidyasagar had already devoted a large part of his life in refining the Bengali education sector As an educator at Sanskrit College Fort William College and founder of the Metropolitan Institution he is credited with introducing a fixed routine and the concept of weekly offs in the education systemMetropolitan College was later renamed as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar College the place where its founders bust was smashed in May this yearTop stories of the dayMumbai receives cyclonic rain before monsoon hits around June 15Mumbai Esplanade holds key to heritage tag for whole precinctMumbai Crime Auto driver threatens to sever traffic cops head arrested in KharMumbai NEET toppers face in ads of 3 different classes raises hacklesMumbai Two die after auto crushed between dumper private bus on EEHMumbai Chaos alert as BMC shuts old bridges in Juhu and OshiwaraPoliticians to plant 9000 trees for the 3000 hacked over Metro 4 workDr Ram Puniyani To label me antiHindu is a carefully constructed prismMumbai doctors suicide Court proceedings in Dr Payal Tadvis case to be recorded on videoMumbai Crime IIT scholar who stalked woman for 5 years held in BiharBMC chief Praveen Pardeshi New zoo will help preserve Aarey betterSewri police arrest smart thieves discover plan to rob jewellery shopsMumbai Two kids and five dogs electrocuted in first showersNmami Agarwal Celebrity nutritionist who has trained Manushi ChhillarMumbai Rains City welcomes first heavy showers of monsoonMasaba Gupta looks gorgeous in allwhite ensembleWoman on flight opens emergency exit door mistaking it for toiletTanuja on the road to recovery Kajol shares a picture with motherMan stabbed to death by his friend over ludo gameWorld Cup 2019 Anushka Sharma cant stop praising husband Virat Kohlis onfield gestureYuvraj Singh receives a standing ovation from rumoured exgirlfriend Kim Sharma on his retirementYuvraj Singh Cricket taught me to fight fall dust myself and get upWorld Cup 2019 ICC needs to take a serious look at the LED bailsAn era ends with Girish Karnad last rites take place in BengaluruDino Morea and Shibani Dandekar spotted at an eatery in BandraCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates