Mamata Banerjee urges unity, celebrates Bengal's diversity at pre-Holi gathering
Telegraph | 14 March 2025
Bengal is cosmopolitan by nature and people setting off flames of division will flee when the fire burns, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said at a pre-Holi programme with people from various communities on Wednesday.
Mamata reminded the audience that Bengal was a border state and the rest of India’s link to the Northeast. If the state faces disruption, the rest of India will suffer, too, she said.
She was speaking at a pre-Holi meet, specially organised to reach out to the city’s large non-Bengali speaking population.
At Dhono Dhanyo auditorium in Alipore on Wednesday evening, people from many communities, beliefs and faiths gathered.
“Someone will spark a fight one day and leave, but when the fire burns, they will not be around. What do we want? We don’t want a fire,” Mamata said.
“A fire is used to cook; it is not meant to divide people,” she said.
She stressed Bengal’s cosmopolitanism and how people from many parts of India have been living here.
“Bengal is a cosmopolitan state. People from various states live here. They could be Biharis, Rajasthanis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Nepalis, Gorkhas, Jains, Khatriyas, Muslims, Christians or others. All religions stay together,” she said.
Bengal’s location makes the need for harmony among its communities even more essential, the chief minister said.
“Bengal is the gateway to three-four countries. Bengal is the gateway to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Southeast Asia and also the gateway to the Northeast,” Mamata said.
“It (Bengal) is very important geographically, politically and democratically. We love each other, we don’t want to quarrel. We want to maintain peace. If something happens in Bengal, the country will not stay well,” she said.
“If all communities stay well, Bengal will stay well. If Bengal stays well, the entire country will stay well,” Mamata said.
The pre-Holi meet had a short cultural programme at the start.
Ministers Indranil Sen, Babul Supriyo and a chorus of five rendered Rabindranath Tagore’s Neel Digante, a song celebrating the arrival of spring, as a troupe of dancers performed mid-stage.
It was followed by women from Bhowanipore performing dandiya. Midway through the performance, one of the dancers came down from the dais and asked Mamata, seated in the first row, to join. Initially reluctant, she gave in.
On stage, Mamata tapped the sticks in her hand against those of fellow dancers.
A little later, members of the Sikh community staged an impromptu bhangra in the space separating the dais from the front row. Mamata came down and joined the group.
Wednesday’s meet — titled Dolyatra O Holi-r Milan Utsab (Festive gathering for Dolyatra and Holi) — is the first time the Kolkata Municipal Corporation organised a Holi celebration.
“I have attended such (Holi) programmes earlier, but this time I asked the Kolkata (Municipal) Corporation to organise it,” Mamata said.
While announcing the programme on March 3, Mamata had said: “The KMC will organise the programme on the occasion of Dolyatra and Holi just like they do an Iftar during Ramzan month.”
On Wednesday, she promised to have an even bigger celebration next year at the Netaji Indoor stadium.
“Next time, we will organise this programme at the (Netaji) indoor stadium. It has a larger space, and more people can come,” she said.
The Dhono Dhanyo auditorium can accommodate between 2,000 and 3,000 people.
“We will have events for all communities next year,” she said.