Puducherry: Pattali Makkal Katchi parliamentary party leader M. Ramadoss has contended, in his letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, that there was no distortion whatsoever of the poem of Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali) in the lyric written by a senior IAS officer of the Puducherry Administration published by the territorial government.

(The West Bengal Chief Minister had reportedly written a letter to his counterpart in Puducherry recently registering his protest against `twisting' of the poem of Tagore in the publication brought out by the Puducherry government in a bid to highlight the unique features of the Union Territory and had sought withdrawal of the publication).

Mr. Ramadoss, who distributed the copy of his letter sent to the West Bengal Chief Minister to media persons here on Tuesday, also told the Chief Minister that the title given by the officer for his poem — `Tagore on Pondicherry' — was among the titles of nine poems published by the government.

He said the poem written by the official only extolled the greatness of Puducherry and glorified it as `heaven upon earth' for its unique features of serene hospitality and tranquillity. He also contended that while Tagore's `Gitanjali' visualised India as a `Heaven of Freedom', the poem penned by the official glorified Puducherry as a `Heaven upon Earth'. Thus the themes of the two works were different.

Mr. Ramadoss said perhaps the only apparent offence appeared to be the title of the poem which might give a misleading impression. But a deeper rumination would reveal that `Tagore on Pondicherry' was a poem that explicated the idea visualised by the noble laureate.

After projecting various well meaning aspects of the poem in a bid to convince the West Bengal Chief Minister that there was no distortion, the PMK leader hoped that Mr. Bhattacharjee would give up any move for action against the officer. Mr. Ramadoss also requested him to drop the matter as closed and to convey suitably to the Chief Minister of Puducherry so that the current `needless controversy could be scotched sooner than later'.

"Intention bona fide"

Communist Party of India (CPI) National Council member R. Viswanathan said Mr. Selvaraj had not distorted the poem in the publication of the territorial government.

Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, Mr. Viswanathan said the official (a senior IAS officer), had in his poem, `Tagore on Pondicherry', published by the department and released in a festival in Paris some time back, had only projected the merits and distinct features of Puducherry drawing inspiration from the pattern the nobel laureate had adopted in his magnum opus `Gitanjali'.

There was absolutely no distortion of Tagore's song in any manner and the intention of the official was bona fide. Mr. Viswanathan said he would write to the West Bengal Chief Minister explaining the facts.

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