The Trinamul-led state and BJP-led central governments are lining up their own events to observe Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23, intensifying the tug of war over one of Bengal’s foremost icons.
Sources close to Mamata Banerjee said she would try and steal a march over the Prime Minister by hosting the state’s events before those of the Centre begin, on Saturday in Calcutta.
On Tuesday, the Centre declared January 23 as Parakram Diwas (Valour Day). The railway ministry also decided to rename the Howrah-Kalka Mail as Netaji Express.
Mamata professed displeasure over the word parakram, asserting deshprem (patriotism) or deshnayak (national hero) would have been better.
On January 4, Mamata declared that January 23 would be observed as Deshnayak Diwas with a mega rally from Netaji’s statue at Shyambazar to that on Red Road, which she would lead. At 12.15pm, his birth time, sirens would be sounded across Bengal.
“What the Centre has announced is their prerogative...But we are not happy. The word (Parakram, with connotations of chest-thumping aggression) they have chosen…I am told that even some members of the Bose family are not happy,” said Mamata. “Where is the national holiday? Has that been declared yet?”
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh defended the name. “Parakram is absolutely the right word. Whoever is against it doesn’t know the meaning of it. The word is derived from Sanskrit and has been used in several Bengali texts. Netaji was parakrami and hence the word parakram.”
Mamata’s event on Saturday would almost certainly be over by the time Modi participates in the inaugural Parakram Diwas in Calcutta, to inaugurate an exhibition on the grounds of the National Library in Calcutta and felicitate prominent members of Netaji’s Indian National Army.
“Parakram” did not sit well with the CPM and Netaji’s own Forward Bloc leaders.
“Mahatma Gandhi called Netaji Deshpremikottam (the greatest of patriots). Rabindranath Tagore called him Deshnayak. Is Modi bigger than Gandhiji and Tagore? We refuse to celebrate January 23 as Parakram Diwas,” said Bloc state secretary Naren Chatterjee.
CPM’s Sujan Chakraborty said the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had officially declared January 23 as Deshprem Diwas. “Parakram has an aggressive, imperialist connotation, which does not match Netaji’s legacy,” he said.
Asked about Modi’s plans this Saturday, Mamata said: “Well, he (Modi) didn’t even know his (Netaji’s) name...”
“When elections approach, Bengal is foremost on their minds. When elections are over, they conveniently forget Bengal. They cannot even pronounce the name of Bengal correctly, they call it Bangaal,” said Mamata. “It is an election year, so they can come…. No problem. Bengal welcomes everyone. Except, of course, goons and the rioters.”
Mamata has been reminding the saffron camp that major Bengal icons it has been trying to appropriate in order to shed its “outsider” tag, such as Netaji, Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar were opposed to the idea of pitting one religion against another, especially in politics and nation-building.
Trinamul has, so far, been enjoying an apparent edge in this duel over Bengal icons, as the BJP has often been found wanting, with avoidable gaffes that have suggested a relative lack of understanding in those areas.
Mamata has been planning Netaji celebrations with her elite committee, comprising eminent civil society members from Bengal. She was made part of a central committee, announced months after her committee, but she is unlikely to participate in the Centre’s plans enthusiastically.
“The state’s committee is all about highlighting Netaji’s uncompromisingly inclusive, secular worldview, which we know is a thorn in this Centre’s side,” said a senior Trinamul MP.
He said Mamata will use the occasion to lambaste the saffron camp’s attempts at deifying “controversial” figures that the saffron ecosystem considers iconic, such as Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, sometimes at the cost of more “worthy” icons with inclusive, secular philosophies such as Netaji.
Modi has often lauded Netaji, but according to critics it was always with the intent to undermine Jawaharlal Nehru.
“Modi and his party are ideological descendants of Syama Prasad Mookerjee…. It is no secret that Netaji was a fierce critic and ideological rival of Mookerjee and the Hindu Mahasabha. This will be highlighted,” said the minister.