Kazi Nazrul Islam given due recognition by Maa, Mati, Manush Government

Like every year, West Bengal Government is celebrating the the birth anniversary of the Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam in a befitting manner all across the State.

In the past seven years, the government has taken several initiatives to preserve the legacy of the great poet. From renovating his house at Churulia to setting up ‘Nazrul Tirtha’ – the ‘Bidrohi Kobi’ has been given due recognition by the Maa, Mati, Manush Government.

Some initiatives of the Bengal Government to preserve the legacy of Kazi Nazrul Islam:

  • Under the Trinamool Government, the state-of-art cultural complex Nazrul Tirtha has been set up at Rajarhat New Town.
  • A digital library on Kazi Nazrul Islam at Nazrul Tirtha was inaugurated in December, 2017. The digital library is the first-of-its-kind in Bengal. All the books of Nazrul that have become out-of-print and are lying in different libraries in Kolkata have been digitised in the first phase.
  • Kazi Nazrul University has been set up in Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman.
  • The first Greenfield Airport of India at Andal has been named after Kazi Nazrul Islam.
  • The State Government has dedicated a chair to Kazi Nazrul Islam at Calcutta University.
  • Nazrul Academy was set up in 2012.
  • Nazrul Mancha, the Open Air Theatre at Rabindra Sarobar, was renovated into a state-of-art auditorium.
  • The West Bengal government took up repair and maintenance work of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ancestral house at Churulia in Bardhaman district.
  • An archive on Kazi Nazrul Islam at Grace Cottage, a single-storey building in Nadia’s Krishnagar where the poet had lived between 1926 and 1928, is in the offing.
  • Since 2011, the Government has been celebrating the birth and death anniversaries of the Rebel Poet in a befitting manner.

 

Indo-Bangladesh ties will always be strong: Bengal CM

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today attended the inauguration of Bangladesh Bhaban in Santiniketan. Funded by the Bangladesh Government, this Bhaban has been set up with cooperation from the Visva-Bharati authorities. The Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh were also present.

Highlights of the Chief Minister’s speech:

  • My best wishes and greetings to all the people in ‘epaar’ and ‘opaar Bangla’. I hope this Bhaban becomes a site of pilgrimage in the days to come.
  • Thank you for inviting me on this auspicious and proud occasion. I am honoured. I enjoyed today’s programme immensely.
  • Indo-Bangladesh ties will always be strong.
  • We cannot imagine Bengal without Rabindranath and Nazrul. Similarly, Bangladesh is also incomplete without them.
  • It is Kazi Nazrul Islam’s birth anniversary tomorrow. He is the national poet of Bangladesh. We can go on and on if we speak about his works.
  • We have set up a university named after Kazi Nazrul Islam. Haseena Ji will be going there tomorrow. We will felicitate her there.
  • We have named the Andal airport after Kazi Nazrul Islam. We have set up Nazrul Academy and Nazrul Tirtha. We have instituted a Chair after Kazi Nazrul too.
  • We also want to set up a Bhaban in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s memory.
  • My best wishes and greetings to everyone in India and Bangladesh on the occasion of Ramzan.

 

It’s a constitutional breakdown: Mamata Banerjee on proposed change to UPSC

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday spoke out against the proposed change in the allocation of services to candidates who clear the all-India civil services examination, describing it as “very dangerous”. The examinations are conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

“What I have come to know about the (proposed changes for) civil servants is very dangerous. They (IAS and IPS officers) used to come through the merit list. Now, if you think that whoever will be an IAS or IPS because of a particular recommendation, then don’t you think it is a constitutional crisis?” Mamata Banerjee told reporters.

“It’s a constitutional breakdown,” she said, adding, “There must be a limit to everything.”

The Centre is considering a major change in the allocation of services to the successful candidates in the civil services examination.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the Ministry of Personnel to explore if the allocation of services to the probationers can be done after the completion of the three-month foundation course, according to an official communique. At present, the allocation is done on the basis of the ranks obtained in the civil services examination.

 

 

Committed to working for the people: Mamata Banerjee on the seventh anniversary of Maa, Mati, Manush Govt

On the occasion of the seventh anniversary of Trinamool coming to power, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted the people Bengal and reiterated her commitment towards working for the betterment of the people.

She posted on her Twitter page: “On May 20, 2011 the first Maa, Mati, Manush Government took oath of office. It has been seven years and we continue to be committed to working for the betterment of the people.”

On May 13, 2011, the people of Bengal gave a historic mandate, ousting the Left Front out of power. Mamata Banerjee took oath as the Chief Minister of Bengal on May 20, 2011 at 1:05 PM. To read more about the historic day, click here.

Compassion and statesmanship hallmark of Didi presser after huge Panchayat poll win

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, reacting to the Panchayat election results on Thursday evening, said that despite the tie-up between the Opposition parties in some places, including with the Maoists, “The Trinamool has won 90% of the seats where elections were held. This shows how strong we are at the grassroot level.”

“We had candidates in many seats that were uncontested. But the Supreme Court will decide on that. In today’s results, that include the re-polling in about 600 booths which, keep in mind, has not happened before, show that this has been a contest where the CPI(M), Congress, BJP and Maoists have fought together. Even then, Trinamool has won in 90% seats.

“There has been violence and some incidents have taken place. But Bengal panchayat elections are very political. They have been so from the early Left Front rule. We wanted peaceful polling but incidents have taken place, and which are related to both sides. It must be remembered that 10 Trinamool workers have also died. However, a lot of disrespect has been shown, and remarks made that are unconstitutional. We have kept quiet.

“Why did the BSF interfere in the border districts of Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram, bordering the BJP-ruled Jharkhand, and Murshidabad and Malda, bordering Bangladesh? Voting had to be stopped. A lot of money has come in from Assam and Jharkhand. All these will end democracy in the country. The Tripura elections have opened our eyes.

“The Opposition said the filing of nominations was prevented. But over 28,000 Opposition candidates had filed. Then why all these lies? Whenever an incident happened, action was taken. It is very sad for those who have died. We will look after the shahid families, whichever party they may be from.

The presiding officer (of a booth in Raiganj) left early, saying he had a headache. The train driver said his train knocked down a person at the spot where his body was found. The CID is probing the incident. But why are so many accusations flying around? If there was no democracy, then voting would not have taken place for so many seats.

“The BJP-Congress tie-up lost in Murshidabad. It was expected. They will go to any extent. Can you believe that the Maoists are working with the BJP? Lots of injustice have taken place. We want peace. For those who lost, I will say, let us work together.”

She also said monetary help will be provided “in whatever way we can” to the families of those who have lost their lives. On the horse-trading in Karnataka, Mamata Banerjee said, “I will not complain against the BJP or against a particular situation. In general, the situation is bad. Goa, Manipur, and now Karnataka are going that way. Please do not violate the Constitution. Why did the Governor not call Kumaraswamy even after he produced the list of 116 MLAs? This is a constitutional crisis. The Governor cannot decide on the basis of political choice. Democracy must be protected. I spoke with Mayawati ji and Chandrababu Naidu on this. I appeal to the President to please guide the country.”

“There may be differences between political parties. But we must all work for the nation. If regional parties can come together, I will be the happiest,” she concluded.

 

Statement by All India Trinamool Congress on the Panchayat election

People have exercised their rights in polling stations today. A few isolated incidents have taken place, however, which All India Trinamool Congress neither wanted nor supported. The administration today helped the Election Commission and nobody got involved in any instigation.

A few of our supporters were badly injured. But, across the length and breadth of the State, our supporters were the model of tolerance.

The allegation made against us regarding the incident in Kakdwip is untrue. At no time is death welcome. So, be it any party, death of a worker is always a sad event.

The BJP is involved in a dirty game. The way it brought in people from Bangladesh, Assam and Jharkhand to create trouble in border regions is extremely reprehensible and in this, it has indirectly taken the help of the BSF, which is under the control of the Central Government. It was shown on TV how BSF personnel were trying to influence voters standing in queues for casting votes.

Law and order is a State subject, as per our Constitution. Hence, we have written to the Election Commission to investigate how the BSF engaged in these activities without any permission from the State Government.

 

Seven years of Poriborton: Bengal now the model in development and governance 

May 13 is one of the most important dates in the electoral history of Trinamool Congress. For on this date in 2011, Mamata Banerjee led the party in breaking down the 34-year-old Left citadel and coming to power; again in 2016, on this date, the party returned to power for a second consecutive term, again with a thumping majority.

The mandate of Ma, Mati, Manush has prevailed.

Seven years of running a cash-strapped Government is an inhuman job. However, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has proved more than equal to the task.

Despite a lion’s share of the State’s revenues being taken away by the Centre to service the debt incurred by the Left Front Government, Mamata Banerjee has carried out development in every sector in the State. Unthinkable, yet true.

What has the Government achieved in these seven years? Democracy, peace and progress. Mamata Banerjee has given confidence to the people. There is hope in the air that Bengal can be the best; and it, slowly but surely, is inching its way to the top. From fair price medicine shops to the Kanyashree Scheme, from setting records under the 100 Days’ Work Scheme to massive developments in the Jangalmahal region, Bengal is a national model now.

Seven years ago, Bengal had little to boast about. Now it can boast of Brand Bengal, or Biswa Bangla. Trinamool Congress raised the slogan ‘bodla noy, bodol chai‘ (‘we want change, not revenge’) and has lived up to the principle during the last six years.

 

 

পরিবর্তনের ৭ বছর – বিশ্ব সেরা বাংলা

 

১৩ই মে বাংলার মানুষের কাছে এক ঐতিহাসিক দিন। ২০১১ সালে এই দিনেই বাংলার জনগণের রায়ে ৩৪ বছরের বাম অপশাসনের অবসান ঘটে। ক্ষমতায় আসে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নেতৃত্বাধীন তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস সরকার। ২০১৬ সালে আবারও বিপুল সংখ্যাগরিষ্ঠতা নিয়ে ক্ষমতায় ফেরেন মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় প্রতিপক্ষদের কুৎসা, অপপ্রচার ও সন্ত্রাসকে জনগণের সাহায্যে পরাস্ত করে।

রাজ্য রাজ্যবাসীর উন্নয়নের প্রতি কতটা দায়বদ্ধতা থাকলে সাত বছর ধরে এই বিপুল দেনার বোঝা বহন করেও এই সার্বিক উন্নয়ন সম্ভব, সেটা প্রমাণ করেছেন মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। বামেদের করা ঋণ শোধের জন্য প্রত্যেক বছর এক বিপুল পরিমান অর্থ রাজ্যের কোষাগার থেকে কেটে নিয়ে যাচ্ছে কেন্দ্র সুদ বাবদ। তার ওপর আবার রাজনৈতিক প্রতিহিংসার ফলে রাজ্যের বরাদ্দ অর্থ ঠিকমত পাঠায় না কেন্দ্র। তবুও একনিষ্ঠ ভাবে মা, মাটি, মানুষের সরকার কাজ করে চলেছে রাজ্যের প্রতি ক্ষেত্রে উন্নয়নের জন্য।

বাংলায় গণতন্ত্র স্থাপন হয়েছে। শান্তি ফিরেছে জঙ্গলমহলে। পাহাড়েও উন্নয়নের হাওয়া। একশো দিনের কাজ থেকে শুরু করে কন্যাশ্রী, ন্যায্য মূল্যের ওষুধের দোকান থেকে শুরু করে নির্মল বাংলা অভিযান, ই-গভর্ন্যান্স থেকে কৃষি – সবেতেই সেরা বাংলা।

বাংলা এখন সারা বিশ্বের কাছে একটি মডেল। মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় স্বপ্ন দেখেছেন বিশ্ব বাংলা গড়ার। ‘বদলা নয় বদল চাই’ এর স্লোগান দিয়ে যে যাত্রা শুরু হয়েছিল সেই ২০১১ সালে এখন তা বাংলাকে বিশ্ব সেরা করার অঙ্গীকারে পরিবর্তিত হয়েছে।

 

Dr Amit Mitra & fin mins of 6 other States meet to demand amending of ToR of 15th Fin Commission

To protest the Central Government’s decision of changing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission, of moving the population base year from 1971 to 2011 for determining the States’ share of allocation of the taxes collected by the Centre, the finance ministers of Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka met in Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, yesterday.

The change in the population base year would discriminate against the States which have done exemplary work in reducing the burden of population, and the States which met yesterday would be among the most affected. As an example, while the average fertility rate of the country is 2.3, the fertility rate of Bengal is 1.6.

On the other hand, States which have not managed to reduce the burden, like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and which, not so coincidentally, as it turns out, are all ruled by the BJP, would be big gainers.

The new ToR, if implemented, would result in Bengal losing between Rs 22,000 crore and Rs 35,000 crore from 2020-2025 (the period of implementation of the 15th Finance Commission). This will cause huge deprivation to the State. Taking all losing States into account, like Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and a few others, the losses would range from, on a conservative basis, Rs 343 crore to Rs 24,000 crore.

Population is one of the primary criteria for determining the share of each State in the divisive pool. All the States and Union Territories are collectively allocated 42 per cent of the Central taxes collected each financial year. The remaining 58 per cent is for the Centre to use for national purposes.

The States which met in Amaravati yesterday are also preparing a joint memorandam to be presented to the Central Government for demanding the amending of the Terms of Reference to remove any discrimination.

Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to the Centre on the same issue, asking for the changing of the new ToR.

In it, she had also written that not just in reducing population, but also on aspects like 100 Days’ Work (MGNREGA scheme), rural road connectivity and e-tendering, as well as some others, Bengal has been a trend-setter. For quite a few of these, the current Central Government too has showered praise and encouragement.

For Bengal, another important issue to be considered is the fact that the Trinamool Congress Government has to repay the huge debt left behind by the Left Front Government. The burden amounted to a total of Rs 2.35 lakh crore till March 31, 2018. For financial year 2018-19, the amount to be repaid is Rs 48,000 crore.

 

Source: Bartaman

Students in Bengal upset over errors in NEET Bengali question paper

Many students of Bengal appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2018 were visibly upset on Sunday, May 6, as they found out that their question papers in Bengali were filled with errors and there were ambiguities in many of the questions. In many cases, there was no proper Bengali translation. Students lost precious time over spelling errors, bizarre words and translation errors.

Over 59,000 students appeared for the examination across the State. There was a palpable sense of anger and dismay outside the exam centres as the students who sat for answering it in Bengali felt they had been wronged. One student, on the condition of anonymity, said, “I have worked so hard to prepare for this exam. Now I feel all my work has gone down the drain. The Centre is penalising us students who have studied in State Board schools. ICSE and CBSE students are getting an unfair advantage while students who have studied in vernacular languages are suffering”.

Trinamool Congress, along with the DMK, were the first to strongly raise their voice over this issue in Parliament.
Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien addressed the HRD Minister and said, “This year in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, out of 56,000 people who took that exam, 40,000 wrote it in Bengali; they got a separate paper, and the results have been disastrous. Those boys and girls, in our two States of Tamil Nadu and Bengal have been deprived”.

In the previous year also there was a furore over the standard of the question paper in most vernacular languages, with the medical aspirants from Bengal and from some other States alleging that their questions were much tougher than the ones in made in English and Hindi.

 

 

Reject outright the Opposition’s malicious campaign and unfounded allegations: AITC MPs in letter to President of India

A delegation of AITC Parliamentary Party, along with the family members of party workers killed by BJP in pre-poll violence, today called on the Hon’ble President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Every family member described in detail to the Hon’ble President the horrors unleashed upon them by the Opposition.

Reproduced below is the memorandum in full.

 

May 3, 2018

To
The Hon’ble President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi

Respected President,

At the outset, we, the Members of the Parliament, belonging to the All India Trinamool Congress, would like to convey our highest regards to you.

We would like to apprise you of some issues which have been brought to your kind notice very recently by the Members of the Ruling political party at the Centre, which are distorted and misleading in nature.

Respected Sir, Panchayat election is a local election, where more than 58 thousand booths throughout West Bengal will go for the polls on 14 May 2018. At the time of filing nomination papers, the BJP started spreading rumours and misleading the people, saying that opposition parties are not being allowed to file nominations. This was spread through one particular ‘sponsored’ media group.

The fact that the Opposition has not been able to submit nominations is not at all true, as more than 96 thousand nominations have been filed by the Opposition parties. If they have not been allowed to file nomination papers, how is it possible that more than 2 lakh nominations in total have been filed? Out of these, more than 96 thousand are from the Opposition. During the period of filing nominations, the entire administration from district level to the block level, along with the police officials worked together for the common people.

Respected Sir, few incidents, however, did take place. These have been over-projected through one particular ‘sponsored’ media group to tarnish the image of the Government, which has worked wonders in West Bengal after being voted to power in 2011.

Before 2011, political violence was the maximum in West Bengal. In Jangal Mahal itself, more than 300 people were killed. At that time, man-days lost due to bandhs and strikes were about 78 lakh.

The picture changed dramatically after the All India Trinamool Congress Party came to power in 2011. While Darjeeling and Jangal Mahal are totally peaceful, there is zero man-days loss in the State of West Bengal.

Respected Sir, you would no doubt appreciate that West Bengal now has become Number One in the country in the spheres detailed below:

  • Number One in man-days generation and total expenditure under 100-Days’ Work
  • Number One in Bank Credit Flows to the MSME Sector
  • Number One in the Ease of Doing Business
  • Number One in Minority Scholarships
  • Number One in Minority Loans (for self-employment)
  • Number One in Rural Housing
  • Number One in Rural Connectivity
  • Number One in Skills
  • Number One in Transparency and e-Tendering

 

In order to tarnish the image of West Bengal and to mislead the people by citing some incidents, the BJP got themselves involved in lynching and killing by hiring people from outside the State and fomenting communal violence.

Respected Sir, you will be shocked and saddened to learn that 5 murder cases took place very recently and all the persons killed belong to the All India Trinamool Congress Party. The list of persons killed is given below:

  1. On 11.04.18, around 17.00 hrs, some supporters of TMC Party assembled near Beliaghata Bridge Party Office under Shasan Police Station, Basirhat Police District to celebrate the uncontested victory in c/w the Falti Beliaghata Gram Panchayat. During the celebration, one Rajab Ali of Uttar Falti stabbed one Saifar Rahaman of Dakshin Baidyapur and fled away. The said Saifar expired on the way to hospital.
  2. On 22.04.18, around 05.00 hrs, one Abdul Ali Mondal along with three others all of Nityananda Kati under Basirhat Police Station, North 24 Parganas allegedly murdered one Amirul Mollick of the same area by slashing the throat and dumped the body in the drain near his house. The deceased belongs to TMC Party.
  3. On 14.04.18, around 16.30 hrs, one Kala Das of Fulbari along with 15 others restrained and assaulted one Bablu Sarkar, member of TMC, of Kethi near Nabaganj Bazar under Ghoksadanga Police Station of Coochbehar district, with the intention to kill, while returning home riding a bike. He was taken to the nearest hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on 20.04.2018. Arrest-03.
  4. On 23.04.18, around 11.30 hrs., while one Dildar Khan along with his wife was proceeding towards Suri-I BDO Office under Suri Police Station, Birbhum for filing nomination in respect of his wife as a TMC candidate in c/w ensuring Panchayat Election 2018, some armed BJP supporters led by one Shyamsundar Lorain shot dead the said  Dildar Khan over political rivalry.
  5. On 19.04.18, one Ajit Debnath of Sundarpore Satberia, PS Gopalnagar was shot at night while at home; hesubsequently succumbed to his injuries in hospital on 22.04.18. His wife Padma was also injured in the attack; however, she survived.

 

It is very unfortunate that we have to bring this to your kind attention that in each and every murder, as described above, the BJP is involved.

Respected Sir, we do sincerely hope and know that your high office would appreciate the true situation on the ground perpetrated by a section of political parties opposed to peaceful democratic processes in Bengal. We appeal to you in the best interest of peace and democracy, to outright reject their malicious campaign and unfounded allegations.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

Members of Parliament
from All India Trinamool Congress Party

Shri Sudip Bandyopadhyay
Shri Derek O’Brien
Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
Shri Md Nadimul Hague
Shri Sunil Kumar Mondal
Smt Pratima Mondal
Dr Uma Saren
Shri Partha Pratim Ray