West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee participating in an event to observe the birth centenary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Kolkata, West Bengal on January 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asked why a holiday would not be declared on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose when a holiday had been observed a day before for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
“I am ashamed that a holiday is given for a political campaign but not for people who have given their lives for the country,” Ms. Banerjee said at an event to observe the birth anniversary of the national icon.
Ms. Banerjee’s remarks came a day after the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, with several institutions, including in BJP-ruled States, declaring a holiday to mark the event.
The demand to declare a national holiday on Netaji’s birth anniversary has been raised over the past few years, not only by the Trinamool leadership but also the Left parties. Leaders of the All India Forward Bloc, the party set up by Netaji, have demanded that January 23 should be declared ‘Desh Prem Dibas’.
The Ministry of Culture issued a notification in 2021 to celebrate January 23 as Parakram Diwas, the birth anniversary of Netaji.
During the event in Kolkata, the Chief Minister said it’s a shame for the nation that even after so many years of the disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, people don’t know what had happened to him.
“This is such a misfortune for the country that the leader who fought for the country, gave direction to the country, disappeared from our midst. The suspense, like a dark night, has never been lifted,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Trinamool Congress chairperson came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and said that the government had not kept its promise of resolving the mystery over Netaji’s death.
“The BJP promised to investigate Netaji’s disappearance before coming to power but forgot after that. For 20 years, I tried to make Netaji’s birth anniversary a national holiday but failed. Please forgive me,” she said.
Leaders of Left parties also paid homage to Netaji on the late leader’s 127th birth anniversary on Tuesday. “We have been demanding that Netaji’s birth anniversary be declared as ‘Desh Prem Dibas’ since the time Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of the country,” the Left Front’s chairperson Biman Bose said.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat also addressed a public meeting in Barasat in North 24 Parganas. Mr. Bhagwat spoke of the contributions of Netaji and said that he had sacrificed his entire life for the country.