You cannot divide the country and build national memorials: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of “dividing the country” and paying lip service to honouring an icon like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by building national memorials in his name, while attempting to demolish everything the leader stood for.
“You cannot divide a country and build national memorials.You must unite the country and then do so,” Banerjee said at a programme on Red Road to mark the beginning of the year-long celebrations of Netaji’s125th birth anniversary. Taking a dig at the BJP, she said: “Some parties do Hindu-Muslim politics and divide the country. They should read Vivekananda, Netaji, Rabindranath, Gandhiji and Ambedkar and look at what they said. People who love the country from the bottom of their hearts don’t burn it down. ”
Banerjee warned against attempts to “wipe out history,” saying, “Those who attempt to do so will only burn their fingers. You cannot prove your love for Netaji by building a statue and extinguishing Amar Jawan Jyoti. ” She also accused the Centre of not doing enough to sort out the controversy regarding his disappearance. “You can inscribe his date of birth (on the statue) but can’t mention whether he died. It’s been 75 years since Indepen- dence and we still don’t know what happened to him.
Netaji’s disappearance remains a mystery. ” She added that the Centre had reneged on its promise to release classified files on Netaji. “This government (at the Centre) said it would release everything on it. They did nothing. We have made public all documents,” she said.
Didi: Bengal being ‘snubbed’ by the Centre at every step
The chief minister critiqued the Centre for playing politics along religious lines. “You give us lessons in religion. But do you know who was Netaji’s right hand? You come to Belur Math, but did you know there is a dargah there? During Gangasagar Mela, I had asked Mahant Gyan Das (chief priest of Kapil Muni Ashram) the name of the bridge. He said ‘Sampriti (harmony)’.
He told me religion has to take everyone along. Will I have to prove whether I am a Hindu or Muslim? The image of Mahadev adorns the wall of my home since I was born. I do not need a character certificate from BJP, I need it from the people,” she said, adding, “Some political party leaders refer to the Calcutta killings. Where were you then? What was your role in it? Martyrs cannot be divided on the li- nes of religion, caste, creed or even age. How old was Khudiram when he embraced martyrdom?”
Banerjee said Bengal was being “snubbed” by the Centre at every step, in spite of its immense contribution to the freedom movement. “Everything from Jai Hind, Vande Mataram to the National Anthem revolves around Bengal.
Then why is Bengal being snubbed?” she said. “Why are you allergic to Bengal? It was our pressure that led to the statue (at India Gate). Why was the Netaji tableau rejected? No reasons were given. The tableau will be displayed on January 26 during the Red Road parade. What you rejected, we will embrace. The present government dissolved the Planning Commission. Netaji’s Planning Commission and five-year-plans are relevant even today. For those who wound it up, I have nothing but shame and condemnation. So what if the Planning Commission doesn’t find a place in Delhi? We are setting up a Planning Commission in Bengal. Netaji’s ideals will always have a place here.”
Bengal, she said, was the “cradle” of the freedom struggle. “Indian Independence couldn’t have been a reality without Bengal.
I will also like to point out that even Gandhiji spent a lot of time in the state.”
The CM reminded everyone of the core values championed by the likes of Aurobindo, Vivekananda and Netaji. “They had all stressed on the importance of a diverse and federal India. Whenever you want, you will take away IAS and IPS officers? Moger muluk naki (Is this anarchy)? One fine day, they will ask the state chief secretary to report in Delhi. How will the state work? Today, standing at Netaji’s feet, we pledge to restore federalism in the country,” she said.