A group of Jesuit priests and former students gathered on the St Xavier’s College campus on Monday to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Language Revolution Day (Bhasha Andolan Dibas).
Toufique Hasan, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh, and other members of his team were also present.
Father Dominic Savio, the principal of the college, led the floral tributes paid at a “specially erected” martyrs’ column on the college campus in Park Street. The column was designed in the style of the original one in Dhaka University.
In the evening, 11 Bengalis were felicitated for their contribution to the society.
The recipients included actor Dhritiman Chatterjee, doctor Abhijit Chowdhury, magician P.C. Sorcar and Major (retd) Shamsul Arefin of the Bangladeshi Liberation Army.
Other priests, including Father Jeyaraj Veluswamy, the rector, and members of the alumni association of the college, were present.
February 21 is the day that marked the killing of protesting students by police at Dhaka University in present day Bangladesh during the state language agitations of 1952. The day is now celebrated as the International Mother Language Day.
“St Xavier’s College, Kolkata, has a rich tradition and heritage of honouring Bengali language and culture. On this occasion, we honour achievers of different fields so that students get to know them and their contributions. I was very happy to see the great enthusiasm of the students in attending this programme in large numbers, as they stepped into the campus after almost two years,” said Father Savio.
The National Library Employees’ Association has turned 75. The association on Monday started year-long celebrations of the platinum jubilee, which coincides with 75 years of Independence. Goutam Goswami, member of the Bengal Library Association and editor of Granthagar, a Bengali magazine, lit the inaugural lamp. “We wanted to start the celebrations on Bhasha Dibas. In the coming days, we will organise lectures, art competitions, blood donation camps and many other activities,” said Tapas Saha, secretary of the association. Picture by Sanat Kr Sinha