Left Parties Slam Centre’s Decision to Scrap Bengal’s Netaji Tableau on R-Day

Kolkata: The Narendra Modi government’s controversial decision to scrap West Bengal’s proposed tableau themed on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) has triggered a volley of criticism from the Left in the state.

“The decision portrays the feudal mindset of the Modi government, which is more acquainted with Shyama Prasad [Mukherjee] rather than Netaji,” a peeved Dr Sujan Chakraborty, a member of the CPI(M) Central Committee, told Newsclick. Left Front chairman Biman Bose also criticised the Centre’s decision terming it as “disrespect to the icon of the Indian freedom movement”.

The Left Front has decided to observe Bose’s 125th birth anniversary as Patriotism Day on January 23 by organising programmes and events before his statues in Kolkata, party chairman Biman Bose has informed the media.

During last year’s Assembly election, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) had organised a plethora of programmes to observe Bose’s anniversary.

Netaji’s daughter Anita Bose Pfaff told reporters from Germany that the government showed its eagerness to mark Netaji’s anniversary during an election year but the same excitement is missing in a non-election year.”

Stating that the “Centre is well aware that the Bengal government is particularly close to Netaji” because he is their favourite son, Bose Pfaff told news agency ANI: “But, of course, he was not only a Bengali but an Indian too. He was deeply rooted in his home and religion too. It’s not an optimal thing to fight over these things; rather, it is adequate that he should be honoured in Republic Day celebrations.”

Interestingly, both the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government had made big announcements last year regarding Netaji’s 125th anniversary. Banerjee had promised to set up a university dedicated to Bose and a memorial for the INA. However, none of the promises has been fulfilled, according to reports.

The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), founded by Bose in 1939, has demanded that his birth anniversary be observed as Patriotism Day. “The Central government should not observe the day as Parakram Diwas every year but as Patriotism Day in honour of the greatest patriot that the country has ever produced,” Naren Chatterjee, general secretary of the 125th birth anniversary committee on Netaji, AIFB, said. On January 23, songs and symposiums at Subodh Mullick Square starting at 11 am will be held, he added.

The AIFB has been a partner of the Left Front right since 1977. Chakraborty said that it is “essential that the Central and the state governments spread the ideology of Netaji among the masses. Celebrating his birthday is a right step in that direction”.

Recalling that the Left Front government used to observe the day as Patriotism Day, Chakraborty said, “After the change of government in the state, the TMC neither celebrates Netaji’s anniversary as Patriotism Day nor requests the Centre to do so. Last year, both the Centre and the state had made big announcements because of the impending election. But nothing has been done after one year. Both are doing narrow politics.”