Saffron, white, saffron: Why Kolkata’s Academy of Fine Arts is caught in BJP vs Left paint war

For two months following the BJP's victory in West Bengal's Assembly elections, a room at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata became a point of contention between the ruling BJP and the Left. In July 12, some BJP activists painted the room's ceiling saffron, likely as a show of support for the new administration. This action was met with strong opposition from Left-leaning intellectuals and artists associated with the Academy.

In response, several Left intellectuals, led by actor Chandan Sen, met with Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya to voice their concerns and request him to refrain from politicizing the institution. Samik acknowledged that the act of painting the ceiling saffron was a mistake and stated that the BJP's objective is not to politicize every aspect. He also promised that any political activity would not be allowed within the Academy.

A month later, on August 11, a group of Left activists and theatre artists reverted the room's color from saffron back to white, with CPM leader Bikash Bhattacharya joining them. The local police were present to prevent any disturbance. Shortly after, a group of BJP workers, led by Shibpur MLA Rudranil Ghosh, a film actor and director, repainted the ceiling again, this time in saffron, chanting slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and "Vande Mataram."

Ghosh claimed that the original color of the ceiling was saffron with a chocolate border, which had been altered by the previous TMC government. He also accused Left intellectuals of misleading Samik Bhattacharya regarding the original color of the ceiling. Samik Bhattacharya denied these allegations, stating that he had asked for a period of 15 days to address the issue. When Bhattacharya failed to act within that timeframe, he decided to repaint the ceiling saffron once more.

The controversy has drawn criticism from other quarters as well. Left filmmaker Kamaleswar Mukherjee posted on social media, expressing that no political ideology can be established through force.