Darjeeling: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee chose Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on Thursday to harp on his principle of inclusiveness that binds “Jai Hind”, “Jai Bangla” and “Jai Gorkha” into one common whole.
“A leader is one who shows the way to the country taking everyone along irrespective of caste and religion…one who has love for the poor and rich alike and asks the rich to work for the poor,” the CM said, ramping up the rhetoric against BJP, which, she alleged, was destroying the secular fabric of the nation.
Speaking at a public gathering at Darjeeling’s Chowrasta, Banerjee said: “The Hills says it wants to stay and develop with others. Why should I divide anyone? Like we chant ‘Jai Hind, Jai Bharat and Jai Bangla’, in Darjeeling you too can say ‘Jai Gorkha’ because we must be proud and talk about our religion. There is no need to mind or quarrel.”
The attempt to build bridges with the Gorkha community came after a section of it got averse following the state crackdown on the Gorkhaland stir in June 2017.
The CM then went on a no-holds-barred attack against BJP and said that CAA-NPR-NRC was only meant to exclude people and take away their right to freedom. “Netaji fought for Independence and secularism and had raised the slogan ‘give me blood and I will give you your freedom’. But today, forget ‘azadi’ and ‘loktantra’, BJP is bleeding the country not for love, country or saving a patient, but for politics. So many people lost their lives in the movement against CAA, NPR and NRC. The question is whether people will get their right and freedom to speak out,” she said.
Banerjee recounted how in 1940 Netaji refused to support the Hindu Mahasabha fearing the country’s secular fabric would be in danger. “He (Bose) had raised the slogan of secularism because he did not talk about one person. He fought for all communities. On May 12, 1940, Netaji had spoken the truth and refused to support the BJP organization on the ground that they were merely interested in vote politics,” the CM said.
Banerjee said she will continue to fight for a secular country come what may. “On Netaji’s birth anniversary today, we pledge that we will follow the path shown by Netaji and Gandhi. We will not budge even if ‘aandhi’ and ‘toofan’ come in our way of struggle and emerge victorious.”
Banerjee also reiterated her demand to the Centre to declare Netaji’s birthday as national holiday. “Bengal observes a holiday on his birthday. However, the central government has refused to declare it as a national holiday,” she said, adding that it was a shame the country did not know when and where Bose died even after seventy-three years of Independence.
With its Hindutva politics BJP was maligning the image of Hindu religion, Banerjee said and questioned the qualities of the BJP leadership. “Hindu is a universal religion and not for any one person, which even Swami Vivekananda preached. But now, in the name of religion, Hinduism is being maligned. We too are Hindus, but that does not mean we will not celebrate the festivals of other communities. People don’t want such kind of leaders. Leaders must lead the country taking everyone along,” she added.
“A leader is one who shows the way to the country taking everyone along irrespective of caste and religion…one who has love for the poor and rich alike and asks the rich to work for the poor,” the CM said, ramping up the rhetoric against BJP, which, she alleged, was destroying the secular fabric of the nation.
Speaking at a public gathering at Darjeeling’s Chowrasta, Banerjee said: “The Hills says it wants to stay and develop with others. Why should I divide anyone? Like we chant ‘Jai Hind, Jai Bharat and Jai Bangla’, in Darjeeling you too can say ‘Jai Gorkha’ because we must be proud and talk about our religion. There is no need to mind or quarrel.”
The attempt to build bridges with the Gorkha community came after a section of it got averse following the state crackdown on the Gorkhaland stir in June 2017.
The CM then went on a no-holds-barred attack against BJP and said that CAA-NPR-NRC was only meant to exclude people and take away their right to freedom. “Netaji fought for Independence and secularism and had raised the slogan ‘give me blood and I will give you your freedom’. But today, forget ‘azadi’ and ‘loktantra’, BJP is bleeding the country not for love, country or saving a patient, but for politics. So many people lost their lives in the movement against CAA, NPR and NRC. The question is whether people will get their right and freedom to speak out,” she said.
Banerjee recounted how in 1940 Netaji refused to support the Hindu Mahasabha fearing the country’s secular fabric would be in danger. “He (Bose) had raised the slogan of secularism because he did not talk about one person. He fought for all communities. On May 12, 1940, Netaji had spoken the truth and refused to support the BJP organization on the ground that they were merely interested in vote politics,” the CM said.
Banerjee said she will continue to fight for a secular country come what may. “On Netaji’s birth anniversary today, we pledge that we will follow the path shown by Netaji and Gandhi. We will not budge even if ‘aandhi’ and ‘toofan’ come in our way of struggle and emerge victorious.”
Banerjee also reiterated her demand to the Centre to declare Netaji’s birthday as national holiday. “Bengal observes a holiday on his birthday. However, the central government has refused to declare it as a national holiday,” she said, adding that it was a shame the country did not know when and where Bose died even after seventy-three years of Independence.
With its Hindutva politics BJP was maligning the image of Hindu religion, Banerjee said and questioned the qualities of the BJP leadership. “Hindu is a universal religion and not for any one person, which even Swami Vivekananda preached. But now, in the name of religion, Hinduism is being maligned. We too are Hindus, but that does not mean we will not celebrate the festivals of other communities. People don’t want such kind of leaders. Leaders must lead the country taking everyone along,” she added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you! What's on your mind?