Bengal Gave India Freedom, Claims Mamata Banerjee
Mamata credits Bengal for India’s Independence success.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee boldly declared on Thursday that India’s Independence would not have been possible without Bengal’s pivotal contributions, citing iconic figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Speaking at an event celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Kanyashree scheme, Banerjee emphasized Bengal’s role as a beacon of unity and cultural pride, asserting that the state’s luminaries shaped the nation’s destiny.
“Bengal’s soil gave us the national anthem, national song, and the ‘Jai Hind’ slogan,” Banerjee proclaimed, underscoring the state’s outsized influence. She highlighted that nearly 70% of freedom fighters in the Cellular Jail in Port Blair were Bengalis, with Punjabis a distant second. Her remarks come amid a Trinamool Congress (TMC) campaign promoting Bengali ‘asmita’ (pride), alleging discrimination against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh.
Banerjee recounted a recent incident where a Bengali-speaking father was denied hotel accommodation in Noida, questioning, “If we respect your languages, why can’t you respect ours?” She urged schoolgirls at the event to embrace unity and reject divisive ideologies ahead of Independence Day, reinforcing Bengal’s ethos of harmony in diversity. She also affirmed that post-Partition settlers are equal citizens, advocating for inclusivity.
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The Chief Minister criticized the Central government for slashing funds for Bengal, claiming the University Grants Commission (UGC) has curtailed research funding, forcing the state to step in. She stressed the importance of learning multiple languages, including English, while cherishing the “all-pervading sweetness” of Bengali.
Banerjee also lauded the Kanyashree scheme, which supports girls aged 13–18 with Rs 1,000 annually and a Rs 25,000 grant upon turning 18, provided they remain unmarried and pursue education or vocational training. With 93 lakh beneficiaries and Rs 17,000 crore invested, the UN-recognized program has eliminated primary-level school dropouts and significantly reduced secondary and higher secondary dropout rates. Banerjee projected the scheme will reach 1 crore beneficiaries by next year, empowering young women to become self-reliant.
Her government’s focus, she said, is to equip Bengal’s youth with skills and opportunities to stand on their own, fostering a legacy of resilience and progress rooted in the state’s historic contributions to India’s freedom struggle.
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