Governor R.N. Ravi on Tuesday said that West Bengal’s Foundation Day must not just be a celebration of Bengali culture, but also a reminder to be vigilant about the forces that can weaken country’s unity.
Speaking at the West Bengal’s Foundation Day celebrations organised at the Raj Bhavan, he stressed on the need to remember the circumstances under which June 20 became the Foundation Day of West Bengal.
Contending that the British had connived with the Muslim League to partition the country and make the Muslim-majority Bengal a part of Pakistan, he said it was a resolution passed in the Bengal Legislative Assembly on June 20, 1947 that led to West Bengal remaining with India. It was this resolution that saved Bengali culture and Bengali heritage.
There was a need for adequate research into many aspects of India’s Independence history. According to him, one such aspect was how the whole country protested against the partition of Bengal in 1905, but became a “mute witness” four decades later when the country was partitioned in 1947.
“A nation cannot be divided on the lines of religion, race or language. Nation is supreme, nation is first. This must be imbued in the hearts of every Indian,” he said. While diversity was the country’s strength, unfortunately, attempts had been made over the time to to turn it into a weakness. He said the Foundation Day must be a reminder to be vigilant against such forces that weakened the nation.
He deemed it appropriate to celebrate West Bengal’s Foundation Day in Tamil Nadu as both the States had shaped the idea and identity of India. Tamil Nadu, with its language, cultural, spiritual and philosophical heritage, had largely maintained “the purity of the very idea of Bharath,” he said. Bengal, on the other hand, had not only preserved, but illuminated the idea of “Ek Bharath, Shreshta Bharath” for many centuries despite the turbulence it faced.
The Governor said Bengal had enriched not just Indian heritage, but had been an asset to the entire humanity through its contributions in various fields. While recounting the contributions of Bengal, one always ran the risk of leaving out a few things. He elaborated on the contributions of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.
Members of the Bengali community in Chennai, including those from the Bengal Association and South Madras Cultural Association attended the event. Mr. Ravi felicitated eminent individuals from the community and those who performed in cultural events during the ceremony.
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