Veteran Baul singer and Padma Shri awardee Purna Das Baul, 93, on Tuesday, 18 August approached the Birbhum District Magistrate seeking recovery of over four bighas of land in the Kamarpara area of Ilambazar, which his family alleges was gradually seized by local land mafia over the past one and a half decades. The celebrated folk artist, widely known as 'Baul Samrat', named former Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Anubrata Mondal and former state minister Chandranath Sinha as those who allegedly backed the occupation.

What the Family Alleged

Purna Das Baul holds 10 bighas of land along the roadside in the Kamarpara area under Ilambazar police station in Birbhum district. According to his family, local mafias have been encroaching on more than four bighas of this land in a piecemeal manner over roughly 15 years.

His son, Dibyendu Das Baul, who accompanied him to the district office, stated: 'For a decade and a half, the land mafia has been gradually occupying our four bighas of land. Anubrata Mondal and Chandranath Sinha have supported this. We have made many complaints and shown all the land documents, but there was no result. I informed the District Magistrate about everything today. He said that he will look into the matter seriously.'

A Long Paper Trail of Complaints

This is not the first time the Baul legend has raised the alarm. In 2023, Purna Das Baul formally wrote to the Bolpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the Birbhum District Magistrate, and the district's Land and Land Reforms Department. Despite administrative efforts at the time, the land reportedly could not be recovered.

The family also alleges that a complaint was made to then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but no resolution followed. The case thus stretches across multiple levels of government — from the sub-divisional to the chief ministerial — without a conclusive outcome.

Fresh Hope After Change in Government

On Tuesday, Purna Das Baul — who now uses a wheelchair — was accompanied by his son to meet Birbhum District Magistrate Dhaval Jain. The family expressed optimism following the change in government in West Bengal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now in power in the state. District Magistrate Jain assured the veteran artist that he would examine the matter seriously.

Who Is Purna Das Baul

Purna Das Baul was born in Birbhum district — historically referred to as 'Baul-Bhum' for its deep association with the Baul tradition. He is credited with taking Baul music to global audiences over a career spanning several decades, earning him the informal title of 'Baul Samrat' (Emperor of Baul). The Indian government conferred the Padma Shri on him in 2013 for his outstanding contribution to Baul music. At 93, his fight for his ancestral land has drawn fresh attention to the broader issue of land rights for cultural figures in rural Bengal.

The matter now rests with the district administration, and the Baul singer's family is awaiting concrete action following the District Magistrate's assurance.