Tag: Rabindranath Tagore

West Bengal to observe Raksha Bandhan as Sanskriti Divas

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West Bengal Government has decided to celebrate Raksha Bandhan festival as ‘Sanskriti Divas’.

On the initiative of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the State Youth Affairs Department will organise programmes in every block of the state.

Incidentally, the history behind this festival dates back to the year 1905 when the British Empire decided to divide Bengal province. During that time Rabindranath Tagore arranged a ceremony to celebrate Raksha Bandhan to strengthen the bond of love and togetherness between the Hindus and the Muslims of Bengal and fight against the British Empire unitedly.

West Bengal Government under Mamata Banerjee values the culture of unity and brotherhood in Bengal and always works towards maintaining the spirit of fraternity and solidarity amongst communities.

 

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বাংলা জুড়ে সংস্কৃতি দিবস হিসেবে পালিত হবে রাখি উৎসব

পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার রাখি উৎসব ‘সংস্কৃতি উৎসব’ হিসেবে পালন করার সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে।

মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের উদ্যোগে, রাজ্য যুবকল্যাণ বিভাগ রাজ্যের প্রতিটি ব্লকে একটি করে অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন করেছে।

উল্লেখ্য, রাখি উৎসবকে ১৯০৫ সালের বঙ্গভঙ্গ বিরোধী আন্দোলনের অন্যতম প্রধান হাতিয়ার হিসেবে ব্যাবহার করা হয়। সেই সময়ে ব্রিটিশ সাম্রাজ্যের বিরুদ্ধে হিন্দু ও বাংলার মুসলমানদের মধ্যে একতা প্রতিষ্ঠা করার জন্য এই রাখি বন্ধন উৎসবের আয়োজন করেছিলেন রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর।

মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের অধীনে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার একতা এবং বাংলায় ভ্রাতৃত্বের সংস্কৃতিকে মর্যাদা দিয়েছে এবং সবসময় সংহতি বজায় রাখার চেষ্টা করছে।

 

WB CM pays homage to Tagore and Gandhi ji at London

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday paid floral tributes at the statue of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore in Gordon Square. She gifted Kalighat pat paintings from Bengal to Tagore Centre in UK. Later, she paid floral tributes at the statue of Gandhi ji in Parliament Square.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also paid homage to APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, who had passed away on Monday.

The West Bengal Chief Minister informed that she has asked the Indian High Commissioner in UK, to inquire whether the Bengal Government could buy the house and conserve it. “The State Government is keen to buy the house where Tagore lived. Tagore is our pride. It is a private property and therefore I have asked our high commissioner to see if we can strike a deal,” the Chief Minister told.

Tagore had visited London in 1912 and spent time at 3 Vale of Heath, Hampstead, where he is believed to have written and translated to English the Nobel Prize-winning `Geetanjali’.

A blue plaque over the door put in 1961 already commemorates the house and reads “The Indian Poet stayed here in 1912“.

The Chief Minister has also asked the Indian High Commissioner to trace out a house in London belonging to Sister Nivedita.

She said that on the eve of her UK visit, the secretary Maharaj of the Belur Math requested her to see whether the house where Sister Nivedita lived could be designated with a blue plaque. By showing us the buildings where famous people have lived and worked, blue plaques celebrate the architecture of London’s streets and the diversity and achievements of its past residents. London’s blue plaques scheme, founded in 1866, is believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world.

“I have asked the Indian High Commissioner whether he could speak with the mayor of London and install a blue plaque on Sister Nivedita’s house,“ the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

 

Images taken from Twitter

CBI takes up cases which suit it politically: Mamata Banerjee

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that Central Bureau of Investigation takes up cases which “suits it politically” and does not show interest in others.

The Chief Minister told the State Assembly that earlier she had the “penchant for seeking a CBI probe into incidents” but it was changing now.

She said she had referred 14 cases to the central agency but it did not take up those. From the Tapasi Malik case to killing of innocents in Nandigram, CBI has failed in all cases, she said.

“They do what suits them politically,” she said. The Chief Minister said her idea of CBI was changing and it was “only about marketing”.

It had also closed the case relating to theft of Nobel medal of Rabindranath Tagore as it failed to do anything, she added.

25 se Boishakh is like birthday of Bengal: WB CM

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West Bengal Government today paid a fitting tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of his 155th birthday through a cultural programme at Cathedral Road near Rabindra Sadan.

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the function. She said she felt like 25 se Boishakh is like the birthday of Bengal. Calling Rabindranath and Nazrul as the pillars on which Bengal survives, she said this day marks a new beginning.

During the past three years under the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Government had made it a point to pay highest respect to the beacons of Bengali culture.

During the next fortnight, the Kabipaksha, May 10 to 25, 2015, regular programme will be held at Rabindra Sadan and the open air stage at the Nandan complex. An exhibition of paintings will be held at Gaganendra Pradarshanshala from May 9 to 15.

Ramakrishna Mission

We must preserve the cultural heritage of Bengal: WB CM

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West Bengal Chief Minister inaugurated a slew of projects at Nimtala Ghat crematorium, which included electric chullis and two environment-friendly wooden chullis. She also inaugurated the renovated memorial for Rabindranath Tagore at Nimtala Ghat and a memorial for Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa at Kashipur Ghat.

 Highlights of her speech on the occasion:

  • Several years passed since independence. No one ever thought of renovating the place where last rites of Ramakrishna was held.
  • We took over Roy Villa in the Hills where she breathed her last. We handed over to the Ramakrishna Mission. It is a heritage.
  • We will not allow any insult to the culture of Bengal. We will maintain the heritage.
  • We asked Rabindra Bharati University to set up another campus so that we could renovate Jorasanko museum.
  • Kazi Nazrul Islam was ignored in West Bengal. He was an iconic poet. We named a university after him.
  • We set up Nazrul Tirtha, Rabindra Tirtha. We are setting up a Centre of Excellence named after Swami Vivekananda.
  • We are building Dhano Dhanye stadium, named after the patriotic song penned by Dwijendralal Roy.
  • Religion does not teach discrimination. Sadbhavana means Sarva Dharma Samannyay.
  • We have built a new temple of Kapil Muni at Gangasagar. We are building a big Gateway to Gangasagar. The priest at Kapil Muni Ashram said the gateway will be called Sarva Dharma Sambhava.
  • No matter how much you abuse me, I will keep working for the people.
  • It is our duty to preserve the spot where Rabindranath Tagore was cremated.
  • There were only 4 electric chullis in Nimtala Ghat. Now there are 12.
  • Today is a holy day. People will take holy dip at Gangasagar from tonight. Lakhs of pilgrims come here for the occasion.
  • We have made arrangements for the pilgrims visiting Gangasagar. We withdrew tax that they had to pay for visiting Gangasagar.
  • Bengal is the only State where we have not levied water tax.
  • CREDAI has given Rs 2.5 crore for development work under CSR. I thank them for the support.
  • We beautified Ganga ghats. We beautified Millennium Park. Like London, Kolkata Eye is coming up soon.
  • We will develop Nimtala Ghat like other ghats in Kolkata.
  • Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevasram Sangha work for all. We believe in harmony of all religions.
  • United we stand, divided we fall. We respect all religions. Ramakrishna Paramhansa said Joto mot, toto poth. We must follow his ideals.