January 30, 2014
Read full transcript of Trinamool Chief`s speech at Martyrs` Day rally at Brigade
I pay my respect and thanks to this land. This is the place where we were born. This land is our religion. This is the land of our pitribhoomi, matribhoomi and karmabhoomi.
We are grateful to the people who have come here. We are grateful to Mahashweta Devi. We seek her blessings. We are grateful to Dwijen Mukhopadhyay. We are grateful to all the religious leaders. We are grateful to all the dignitaries from the field of art and culture.
I pay my respect to the mother of the martyr Nurul Islam of Khadyo Andolan, the activists of the Singur movement, the families of martyrs of 21st July police firing, Nadigram, Netai and Sainbari massacre. They laid down their lives for us. We should never forget them.
This rally proves once again that democracy is for the common people not for dynasties. Today Trinamool Congress is urging you to uphold democracy. Democracy is by the people, for the people and of the people. Democracy is for peace and progress. Trinamool Congress is committed to the cause of progress, development, solidarity and peace.
We believe states should have a stronger voice at the centre. We need to win most of the Lok Sabha seats in the state in order to work for the common people. There is no scope for overconfidence. Our fight is against Congress, BJP and CPI(M). Our fight is against corruption. Our fight is against oppression and impudence. Our fight is for the people. It is a hard fight but has to be fought. Bengal does not have much relevance in Delhi now. The more Lok Sabha seats we win, the more our importance will increase in Delhi.
We started from Bengal. The Maa Mati Manush of Bengal had given us the responsibility to work for the people. In spite of the central government taking away all the money, the West Bengal Government has moved forward. In just two and half years, we are first in Micro & Small Scale industries. We have brought back peace in Jangalmahal and the Darjeeling. We were the first to implement fair price medicine shops. In agriculture, the state Krishi Ratna for food procurement.
The Lok Sabha elections are very close. Bengal will lead the way. There is a need to have a friendly government in the Centre for the sake of the development of the state. Previously, we said that we wanted Poribartan in Bengal. Now we need Poribartan in Delhi. What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. So, we have raised our voice from Bengal. Let our slogan be, `Durniti Hatao, Desh Bachao` – remove corruption, save the country.
We do not want revenge, we want remedy. We do not want a government that endorses riots, we want a government which promotes solidarity and harmony because this country belongs to all of us and we want to move forward unitedly. We want good governance. We want united India. We want a pro-people government. To make this possible we need to form a federal front with the powerful states. Trinamool Congress will play an important role to make the state and the country stronger.
This time we will be fighting Lok Sabha polls outside West Bengal as well. We have delegations from Manipur, Tripura, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Kerala, UP. We will fight in these states. I do not want power. I want to work for the people. I will campaign for the sake of people outside Bengal. It is the need of the day for the sake of the people.
People of Bengal have been oppressed for 35 years. Thousands of people were murdered during Left rule. Rape, violence, murder, loot and arson was the order of the day. People were forbidden to study English for 35 years. We have no money in our treasury because of the debt we inherited from the Left. All the money we are earning is going away to pay the debt installments. In spite of that , around 3.2 crore poor people get rice at Rs 2/kg from us. We have made arrangements to provide free medicine at all the health centres and primary hospitals at block level. 35 multi super-specialty hospitals are being set up. 1.10 lakh people got patta in 2.5 years, within next couple of months another 1 lakh people will be given pattas. Our duty is to serve the poor people.
The parties like CPI(M), Congress and BJP are telling that they are the alternatives of each other. Congress is not an alternative to BJP, BJP is no alternative to Congress. Trinamool Congress is the real alternative for the country. Keep this in mind. We need to reach out to our friends. We will have to work together. If need arises, we will support them from behind and let them be in power.
We want to see that the black money is returned to the country. We want to see our farmers get the right price for their crops. We want to see our mothers and sisters live with honour. We do not spare any criminals if they commit crimes against women. Has the Opposition forgotten about the molestation of women in Muzaffarpur, the burning of Anandamargis, rape of Anita Dewan, Bantala, Dhantala, Goghat, Bhangar? There is a long list. We have taken proper actions against all the complaints made.
In Panchayat polls the people`s mandate was against the Opposition. People will prove it again in the Lok Sabha elections. CPI(M) never bothered to design an emblem for the state. They let chit fund companies set up shop in the state and expand business. We arrested the criminals and we will return the money to the people.
They set up only 2 universities in 35 years and we formed 6 universities in just two and a half years. We set a target of creating 50000 ponds in 5 years. In 2.5 years, we have already created 1.05 lakh ponds. We have given 20 lakh Kisan Credit cards, we have launched Kanyashree and Yuvashree for the common people. We could have provided 10 lakh jobs every year if the centre would not have taken away a major part of our earned money as debt interest.
The Opposition only plays divisive communal politics. We say that we are all one. We are human beings. Tyag ka naam hai Hindu, Iman ka naan hai Musalman, Pyar ka naam hai Isai, aur Sikh ka naam hai Balidaan, yeh hai hamara pyara Hindustan. We will work for UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam, Tripura. Our motto is to work for the people. We are driven by the ideals of Tagore, Nazrul, Ambedkar.
We need empowerment of women. We had reserved 50% of the seats at the Panchayat level for women. Je randhe, se chul o bandhe. We have created reservation in higher education for backward classes, but not at the cost of General category.
We need determined, dedicated, devoted people for building a new Bengal, a new India. Can you work selflessly for the nation? The young generation is an asset for the country. Be bold. Be strong. Be dedicated, devoted, disciplined and determined. I know you can. I need you to work for the people, bring a change in the dynastic rule in Delhi. We need Poribartan in Delhi.
They have hiked price of everything except the price of a human life. I give you the slogan – Delhi Chalo, Bharat Garo. We need to target all the 42 seats in the state. We need to convince the people to support us.
To the opposition, I have a message. I will go ahead with development, catch me if you can. We do not want a Congress Bureau of Investigation and CPM Bureau of Investigation to teach us human rights. There will be conspiracies, but do not fall in their trap. We will not let riots happen in Bengal.
We had a rally at Brigade after Poriborton in 2011. We will have another rally at Brigade after we usher in Poriborton in Delhi.
Hum honge Kamyaab. Jai Hind.
