CM to ‘Jumla Party’: Learn our tradition, love your religion
Times of India | 3 April 2025
12 Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday played up the traditional Bengali aspects and rituals associated with the Ram Navami period as she asked the "Jumla Party" to "love their religion" and "learn history and traditions".
"I would like to remind those who take out processions and brandish weapons to instigate riots that you can do all that (take out processions) but keep police restrictions in mind," she said. "Perform Basanti Puja and Annapurna Puja if you love your religion. Isn't Akal Bodhan also Ram Navami? Isn't that accepted as Durga Puja here? Everyone should perform pujas according to their own traditions and rituals. That is real religiosity," Banerjee added during an address from Nabanna on Wednesday.
The CM's address came four days before Ram Navami this Sunday and in the backdrop of senior state BJP functionaries exhorting their supporters to hit the streets with weapons. Implicit in her statement was an exposition of what she has always charged BJP with — "importing an alien concept of Hindutva" to Bengal that is fundamentally different from the state's own syncretic Hinduism championed by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.
Basanti Puja is considered to be the original Durga Puja initiated by King Surath before the autumnal Durga Puja became more popular in Bengal. Its rituals are similar to Durga Puja's and it comes typically during the Bengali month of Chaitra and coincides with the last four days of the Ram Navami period.
Annapurna Puja, likewise, is dedicated to the deity of nourishment and food and is celebrated on the eighth day of the Chaitra Navratri; it involves offering rice, grains and sweets to seek Annapurna's blessings for prosperity and sustenance.
Akal Bodhan' (meaning "untimely invocation" of Durga) refers to the tradition of invoking the Goddess during the month of Ashwin. This tradition is rooted in the Ramayana, where Lord Ram — preparing to fight Ravan — seeks Durga's blessings during autumn.
"We celebrate Durga Puja when Lord Ram offers his eyes to Maa Durga. Those who instigate riots with weapons in the name of rallies should know the history," Banerjee said. The CM warned, "Do not attempt to incite riots. People of Bengal will not tolerate riots. Bengal is the birthplace of culture and religious harmony. Do not disturb any other programme or religious celebrations going on around this time like Charak, Chaitra Sankranti or Mahavir Jayanti."
Citing the example of Belur Math she said, "Bengal will never accept division. Bengal only believes in unity and harmony. There is a dargah in Belur Math. They could've easily removed it, but they didn't. If they can coexist peacefully, why can't we? If they can accommodate everyone at one place, why can't we?"
Continuing her tirade against the ‘Jumla Party', Banerjee added: "The Jumla Party has an one-point programme: to divide the country. They believe in divide and rule, something that we don't. We follow the Constitution. Religion serves its purpose when karma is fulfilled with humanity. If one's karma is inhumane, they cannot pay their respect to any religion. I respect all religions."
Referring to her speech at Oxford University recently, the CM questioned why she was asked about her religious identity in foreign soil. "Why will they ask if I am Hindu while I am abroad? Am I compelled to answer to BJP? …They may hurl abuses at me, but I don't care as I am habituated. But why are they lying every day? They are creating fake videos. They used visuals of Bangladesh and circulated them saying these were from Murshidabad. They posted visuals from Gujarat and Rajasthan as those from Bengal," she alleged. The CM also attacked a section of Left parties, which she claimed had become communal. "I respect a section of the Leftists but Bam (Left) and Ram have now become one. If they continue doing this, they will even vanish from the zero that they are now," she added.