EC enters National Library, ruffles book lovers’ feathers

Long bamboo poles lie strewn around the sun-drenched grassy patches of the imposing National Library at Alipore in Kolkata. In the afternoon heat, a few men are busy putting up a pole here, driving in a nail there, oblivious to the disapproval by the city’s academic and research brigade.

But, if one reads between the lines, it will come to light that a controversy is raging underneath the placid air as to whether it’s okay for the election commission (EC) to take over the largest library in the country and an institution of national importance for election-related purposes. Writers, teachers and students have come out in strong protest against the EC’s move.

While the EC can take over the premises for poll activities under the Representation of People’s Act, certain buildings have a certain sanctity about them that should not be violated, they said. They complain that the EC had converted the library into a distribution centre during the assembly elections in 2006. Staff members recall that, during that time, loudspeakers blared, buses and cars clogged the gateway and election personnel cooked food, inconveniencing library members.

Ruchira Goswami, assistant professor of sociology, National University of Juridical Sciences, said, “It might be within the EC’s rights to take over the building, but why a public library and that too of such enormous heritage value?” Another college argued, “Unless it’s a national emergency, say, a war, I don’t see why National Library should be converted into a distribution centre.” But the state’s chief electoral officer, Debashis Sen, says, “We tried but could not locate a single viable location,” he told DNA.

“We are still undecided on the matter but are likely to use two large abandoned rooms in the old building where you will not find a single book or chair. These rooms, at the centre of the controversy, are lying completely idle and, in any case, we will use them for barely 24 hours during counting,” Sen said. “We’ve been setting up a distribution centre at the library for the last 30 years. As for the polling booth, it will be a small space inside a staff room and hardly inconvenience anyone,” Sen said.

National Library director KK Banerjee told DNA, “Discussions are still on with the electoral officers. But, they have assured us that no inconvenience will be caused to the library users.”

But, as poll day draws near, on May 13, the pall of gloom deepens among the city’s intellectuals.