Jai Baba Taraknath! Har Har Mahadev!
On this stage, with Governor R. N. Ravi ji, the popular and energetic Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari ji, other distinguished dignitaries, and my brothers and sisters of Bengal - this sacred land of Baba Taraknath, on the historic date of West Bengal Day, and in the presence of such a large gathering, I feel honored to be among you for the first time after the elections and oath-taking. The air of Bengal now carries a new freshness, every particle seems to radiate a new fragrance. It feels as though Bengal has been freed from shackles, as though the pride of Bengal has begun to return. Today’s program, the inauguration of these projects, is witness to Bengal’s commitment to building a new future. The glow on the faces of the people, the joy and trust in every village - I have come here to share in your happiness. One vote, one election, how much transformation it can bring - this is clearly visible in Bengal.
Poriborton bhalo lagchhe to?
On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Bengal and to all citizens of the country on this celebration of West Bengal Day.
Friends,
I also want to commend and warmly appreciate your initiative of “Swachhata Se Swagat.” Cleanliness must be an integral part of our daily lives. Where there is cleanliness, development will shine even more beautifully. I congratulate you wholeheartedly for welcoming with cleanliness.
Friends,
This year’s date of West Bengal Day is even more special. After independence, the dream envisioned for Bengal’s bright future, the vision of Bengal’s great souls - today, for the first time, we are seeing those dreams turning into reality on West Bengal Day. May this historic date become an inspiration for Bengal’s development, may we create a new and glorious history. Today, under the BJP-NDA government, a grand campaign of development is beginning for this very purpose.
Friends,
For decades, first the Left and then the TMC dug deep pits in Bengal. To fill those pits, the double-engine government has begun working at super-fast speed. Decisions are being taken with lightning speed, stalled projects are moving forward. In this series, today, development projects worth hundreds of crores have been inaugurated and foundation stones laid here. Rail, road, agriculture, fisheries - these projects will give new momentum to Bengal’s development. They will strengthen the rural economy here. I congratulate the people of Bengal for these projects. Today, the 23rd installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi has also been released. Nearly 19,000 crore rupees have been directly transferred into the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers across the country. I extend my best wishes to all beneficiary farmer families.
Friends,
During the era of slavery, Bengal endured immense suffering, countless sacrifices, and immense renunciation. The violence in Kolkata in 1946, the riots in Noakhali - how many innocent Bengali people, how many lives of Bengal were lost.
Brothers-sisters,
Bengal endured bloodshed, Bengal lost its own, Bengal saw its motherland torn apart. Yet Bengal did not allow its identity and essence to be destroyed. As a result, when there was a conspiracy to separate all of Bengal from India, the creation of West Bengal prevented those designs from succeeding. Thousands of years of civilization and culture, the core faith and traditions here, survived after many struggles. And today, those values and traditions are not only preserved in West Bengal, they are alive and vibrant. Therefore, in celebrating West Bengal Day, we are not merely remembering a date - we are remembering an entire history. We are paying homage to Bengal’s thousands of years of heritage.
Friends,
It is necessary to repeatedly remind today’s generation of the importance of West Bengal Day. The youth must know what was happening during that time. When attempts were being made to make all of Bengal a part of Pakistan, the Congress was bowing before those conspirators. And it was then that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee raised his voice against it. In April 1947, he passed a historic resolution. He declared that the whole of Bengal would not become part of Pakistan. For this, the Bengali Hindu Homeland Movement was launched, led by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Eminent personalities like scientist Meghnad Saha, historians R. C. Majumdar and Jadunath Sarkar, linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, and many other intellectuals of Bengal joined this movement. Entrepreneurs like G. D. Birla advanced it. Matua leader P. R. Thakur supported it. Articles were written in newspapers, stories were published, the spirit of Vande Mataram was rekindled. The voice of Bengal, suppressed by sectarian agendas, rose again through this people’s movement. As a result, anti-India forces realized that breaking all of Bengal away from India was impossible. And thus, West Bengal remained with Mother India.
Friends,
The spirit with which West Bengal was saved at the time of independence should have been carried forward after independence. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. There was an attempt to forget West Bengal Day and its true meaning. For political agendas, history was “whitewashed.”
Brothers-sisters,
At the time of partition, the Congress wanted to abandon Bengal. After partition, even in the remaining West Bengal, it began playing the game of appeasement. This history of West Bengal was suppressed. Because Syama Prasad Mookerjee became the founder of the Jan Sangh, his contribution was denied. The very spirit with which he fought for Bengal was continuously targeted. On the land that gave birth to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, foreign ideologies were imposed. First Congress, then the Left, then TMC - for decades, instead of nurturing and strengthening West Bengal, they allowed it to become a hub for illegal infiltrators. The Bengal that could have led India’s development kept falling behind instead of moving forward.
Friends,
On West Bengal Day, our duty is to take a pledge that those mistakes of history will not be repeated. From the inspiration of West Bengal Day, a new history will be written.
Friends,
Decades of misrule pushed West Bengal miles behind. You have seen how conditions deteriorated under previous governments. Large industries fled, small businesses collapsed, youth lost employment, and resources were taken over by infiltrators. The Bengal that was once a land of opportunities became a center of exodus. In this environment, you took a pledge - to remove the TMC government. You blessed the BJP with record seats, and today the whole country is witnessing how Bengal is immediately reaping the results. The rights that were denied to you for years are now reaching your doorstep. During the elections, I guaranteed you the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Now, every poor person in Bengal will receive its benefits. Mothers and sisters have begun receiving direct benefits from the Annapurna Yojana. To ensure clean water reaches every household, an MoU has been signed between the West Bengal government and the central government under the Jal Jeevan Mission. We had promised Bengal’s youth during the elections that the age limit in jobs would be relaxed - that promise has been fulfilled. The promise of free bus travel for women has also been fulfilled.
Friends,
For years, political rivalry kept many schemes stuck and delayed. Today, breaking all those barriers, through Jan Kalyan Shivirs, every government scheme is reaching you directly. No middlemen, no obstacles - only focus on your rights, on Bengal’s development, and on the security of Bengal and the nation. You must have seen, the land transfer for border fencing that previous governments had blocked for decades - as soon as the new government was formed, work on it has begun.
Brothers and sisters,
I am glad that the foundation of industrial progress in West Bengal has begun to be rebuilt. This foundation rests on two essential pillars - honest and transparent governance, and the rule of law. Not only West Bengal, but the entire nation is witnessing this change today. Those who looted you are now returning the stolen money themselves. Big looters are being sent to jail. Syndicate members are apologizing to the people. The thugs who extorted money at toll gates have fled. People of Bengal are moving freely without obstruction. Ekhon katmani shesh, kaj shuru hoye gechhe.
Friends,
The Bengal that was struggling with poor roads and dilapidated infrastructure is now seeing long-stalled projects moving forward rapidly. Look - the halted work on Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line at Chingrighata Crossing has been completed. In Howrah, the foundation has been laid for a new divisional railway hospital at a cost of nearly 100 crore rupees. It will provide emergency services and treatment for serious illnesses. In East Medinipur, projects like the road overbridge between Haur and Radhamohanpur, and the Sankrail–Santragachi link line will bring convenience to the people.
Friends,
Today, under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, money has been transferred to the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers across the country. And for the farmers of West Bengal, there is another happy announcement - from today, the PM Crop Insurance Scheme is being launched in the state. This scheme will support farmers’ families in difficult times. If crops are damaged, the burden will not fall on the farmer.
Friends,
Now West Bengal is also joining the Digital Agriculture Mission. Through Agri-Stack, a farmer registry will be created. Village maps and crop information will be available digitally. Services like fertilizer purchase, farmer credit cards, DBT, and procurement at minimum support price will become easier.
Friends,
To uplift the most backward districts in agriculture, the government has launched the PM Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana. Four districts of West Bengal - Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jhargram - are included. Work will be done to increase productivity, build storage facilities, and make loans easier for farmers. In Bengal, fish farming connects farmers, fishermen, and traders. Therefore, the capacity of the Fraserganj Fishing Harbor in South 24 Parganas has been expanded. A modern fish market has also been built in Birbhum. Now Bengal will not stop - Ebar Bangla thambe na, ekhon itihash gorbe.
Friends,
Today, millions of farmer companions from across the country are connected to this program, along with chief ministers, governors, and ministers from different states. Farmers everywhere are participating in this celebration. All these farmers are beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. To all my farmer brothers and sisters, I want to make a heartfelt request. Please listen carefully. I fold my hands before you - we must not leave barren fields to our children, we must leave them fertile fields. We must save our Mother Earth. The Government of India is running the “Save the Fields” campaign. It emphasizes protecting soil health, reducing chemical fertilizer use, and adopting natural farming. I urge you to join this campaign in large numbers, take a pledge to save your fields, inspire nearby farmers to do the same, and together protect our Mother Earth. She is our mother - we cannot commit the sin of killing her with chemicals. We must save our Mother Earth.
Friends,
India is working towards the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. The biggest foundation of this resolve is the development of Eastern India. For this, we are working on Mission Purvodaya. Bengal’s role in this mission is crucial. The progress of Bengal will accelerate the progress of Eastern India.
Brothers and sisters,
In this campaign of development, we must remember one more thing - the first condition of development, which we must never forget, is peace, harmony, and social stability. We must strengthen Bengal’s cultural identity and social fabric. We must move forward together.
Friends,
Tomorrow, the nation and the world will celebrate International Yoga Day. This time, I will participate in Yoga Day here in Bengal. This land of yogis like Swami Vivekananda and Maharshi Aurobindo will send a message that will guide the entire world. I want Yoga Day celebrations to be organized across Bengal, in every corner. All of you should practice yoga, be part of Yoga Day. With this request, I once again congratulate you all on the development projects. Today, as we celebrate West Bengal Day with enthusiasm and joy, I urge you - take out your mobile phones, turn on the flashlight, and together let us celebrate this Bengal Day. Let all mobile lights shine, and with me say - Bharat Mata ki Jai. Bharat Mata ki Jai. Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram.
Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram.
Vande Mataram.
Thank you very much.
