Assam Tribune mural removed from Maharaj Prithu Flyover pillar after PWD order
The request came after a request from another newspaper sparked concerns over displaying organizational names on the structure.
The pillar where the murals depicting The Assam Tribune office premises were drawn (AT Image)
Guwahati, March 8: The Public Works Department (PWD) on March 5 directed painters working on murals under the Maharaj Prithu Flyover to erase a mural depicting the office of The Assam Tribune, which had been drawn on a pillar opposite the newspaper’s premises.
The development came after the executive editor of Dainandin Barta, a local newspaper, wrote to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma requesting permission to paint the name of their organisation as an “Address Symbol” on Pillar No. 61A under the Maharaj Prithu Flyover in Chandmari area.
In the letter, the newspaper’s executive editor stated that since The Assam Tribune had its organization’s name written on a pillar of the flyover, they would be grateful if similar permission was granted to them to display the name of their office.
However, the painters who had created the mural said the artwork was not commissioned by the newspaper itself. According to one of the painters, the mural was planned as a tribute to the 88-year-old publication.
A group of painters from Nagaon, who had been contracted to paint murals on the pillars of the Maharaj Prithu Flyover, had earlier explained their intention behind the artwork.
“We planned to draw the Assam Tribune premises as a mural on the pillar to show respect and dedicate it to the organization,” one of the painters said recently.
The mural depicted the Assam Tribune building on one side of the pillar along with the names Gariyoshi and The Assam Tribune. The other side showed a man sitting on a chair reading the newspaper, symbolizing the many households that continue to read the publication.
The murals painted on the pillars were not created at the artists’ discretion. According to the painters, the designs must first receive approval from the Public Works Department (PWD) before any work begins.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, one of the painters said that all mural designs are submitted to the PWD for approval prior to execution.
The painter further stated that the mural depicting The Assam Tribune had also received approval from the department before it was painted.
“PWD had approved the painting of The Assam Tribune mural, which is why we went ahead and drew it. Now, we have come to know that it has been erased. We do not know the reason,” the painter said.
Following the letter from Dainandin Barta, the PWD decided to erase the mural. Officials said the step was taken to avoid controversy and that no organization’s name or dedicated mural would be allowed on the pillars.