KOLKATA: Exuding confidence that the Trinamool Congress government will return to power in West Bengal for the fourth consecutive term after the Assembly polls due next year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she wants to celebrate ‘Kanyashree Diwas’ on a large scale in 2026.
Currently, more than 93 lakh girl students in West Bengal are receiving the benefits of Kanyashree. Banerjee said that if the number of beneficiaries reaches one crore next year, a “special celebration” will be organised for Kanyashree.
Addressing the ‘Kanyashree Diwas’ programme at Dhanadhanya Auditorium in Alipore, she informed that the state government has already spent Rs 17,000 crore on this programme.
If the Assembly elections are held on time next year, the new government is expected to be sworn in around May or June. ‘Kanyashree Diwas’ is celebrated on August 14. As a result, the “special celebration” she spoke about on Thursday will take place after the elections. According to political observers, Banerjee’s advance announcement of the “special celebration” after the elections by setting targets is politically significant, as she allegedly wanted to convey that her government will return to power in 2026.
In this context, many in the state administration are referring to the Chief Minister's administrative meeting in Birbhum a few weeks ago. In that meeting, speaking about the housing project, she said, “I have already given money for the ‘Banglar Bari’ project to 12 lakh people. Another 16 lakh people will get the first instalment next December. Whatever is left, I will pay in three-four years.” This indicates that, beyond the special celebration of ‘Kanyashree Diwas’, Banerjee has allegedly begun outlining what she will do after the elections.
In 2013, the West Bengal government launched the ‘Kanyashree’ project to prevent child marriage and to help girls from economically backward families pursue their education. Initially, it was only for schoolgirls, but later, girl students of colleges and universities were also included.
The project received international recognition in 2017. That year, the ‘Kanyashree’ project was selected as the best project among 552 social initiatives from 62 countries by the United Nations. The Chief Minister herself received the award at a ceremony organised by the United Nations in The Hague, Netherlands.
The Chief Minister also recalled the contribution of the Bengali language and Bengali scholars to the country's heritage and culture. In her words, “You won't find the sweetness of Bengali language anywhere.”
She said it is necessary to learn English as it is an international language. “You should know all languages. The more languages you learn, the more you will develop. But please don't forget your mother tongue. Don't forget your land,” Banerjee added.
In her speech, she also mentioned the names of Bengali scholars including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda.
Banerjee said, “If Bengal was not there, India would not have got Independence. Bengal's soil has produced eminent people like Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam and Subhas Chandra Bose. The national anthem, the national song and the 'Jai Hind' slogan are all creations of Bengalis.”
Her comments assumed significance as the Trinamool Congress has been alleging that Bengali-speaking workers from West Bengal are being “harassed” and “tortured” in various BJP-ruled states.
Maintaining that an overwhelming majority of the country's freedom fighters came from Bengal, she said, “You will find that almost 70 percent of inmates of the Cellular Jail (in Port Blair) were Bengalis. Freedom fighters from Punjab came second.”
She also stated that those who had entered the country after the Partition are all citizens of India.