September 8, 2018
Mamata Banerjee calls for unity between Bihar and Bangla to keep ‘division’ at bay
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday called for unity between the people of Bangla and Bihar to keep “division” at bay. She also warned of attempts by communal forces to divide people on the basis of language and religion.
Speaking at a gathering organised by the Rashtriya Bihari Samaj at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, she said, “Many Biharis are settled in Bengal. Similarly, many Bengalis are settled in Bihar. In both places, all are living happily together. We do not believe in making any division, be it on the basis of religion or language. But an attempt is made to create division among people… So we should unite against this dangerous trend.”
She asserted there would be no discrimination against Biharis in Bangla. “In Assam, around two lakh Biharis did not find a place in the NRC draft. Several Bengalis were also excluded from the list. Majority of those left out of the draft were people who did not hail from Assam. For me, humanity is the most important thing. But I can proudly say that in Bangla this has neither happened nor will it ever happen,” the Chief Minister said.
She also highlighted that both Bengal and Bihar have given birth to several luminaries, and over years, there had been a feeling of bonding between the Bengalis and Biharis.“We will not allow anyone to destroy this sense of bonding at any cost,” she said.
The Chief Minister lauded the “hard-working” attitude of the people of Bihar.“You never hesitate to accept any kind of job or challenge. This is the best thing that I like about you,” she said.
She announced the opening of a Hindi wing in the Trinamool Congress Party and said that it would be headed by MLA Arjun Singh. She said that she feels a special connection with the Hindi-speaking population of the country. “Please consider me as your daughter,” she said.
Source: Indian Express
