The Cultural Unity Forum, Assam (Sanskritik Aikyamancha, Asom) representing over a hundred cultural organizations and artists across the state, has formally appealed to the Assam government to reopen the historic Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati. The forum submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister on September 25, highlighting the hall’s prolonged closure and urging immediate action.
According to the memorandum, Rabindra Bhawan has been closed for more than three years. The closure has been attributed to minor issues such as faulty electrical earthing, water leakage during heavy rains and the building’s age of over fifty years. The forum described these problems as routine maintenance matters that should not prevent the hall from functioning.
“Across India, Rabindra Bhawans older than the one in Guwahati continue to host cultural programs with regular repairs. Our hall has been the cradle for many leading artists of Assam, and its closure has caused great distress to the cultural community,” the memorandum stated. The forum also suggested that the hall be repaired and reopened within six months at minimal cost, benefiting both artists and audiences. 
The memorandum proposes forming a professional technical committee of experienced artists and technicians to upgrade lighting and sound systems, offering rental concessions to registered organizations and veteran artists, and repairing government auditoriums and libraries across districts. It also calls for reopening the Lalit Kala Akademi branch and Art Gallery previously operating within Rabindra Bhawan.
Over 110 cultural organizations supported the appeal by sending their logos, which were prominently displayed in the memorandum, showing a united front of Assam’s cultural community.
The Cultural Unity Forum also stated the need for affordable facilities for rural and semi-urban artists, better maintenance of district libraries, and support for cultural growth across Assam.
