Declare Netaji Birthday National Holiday, Says Mamata to Centre

The West Bengal CM had written to PM Modi in November 2020 requesting the same.

File photo of WB CM Mamata Banerjee.

(Photo: IANS)

With the West Bengal elections around the corner, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birthday, on 23 January, be declared a national holiday.

The chief minister said that she'd written to the Central government requesting the same. Netaji's birthday is a state holiday in West Bengal.

The legendary freedom fighter would have turned 125 this year. On 4 January, Mamata Banerjee convened a meeting of a special committee, led by her to plan a year-long celebration for Netaji's 125th year, starting 23 January this year.

The meeting was attended by members of the committee which has names like Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee, dancer Mamata Shankar, singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra and more.

"I personally feel we haven't done anything important for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose after independence. I've written a letter to the Centre to declare 23 January, birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as a national holiday. It is my demand," said the Chief Minister.

'"Desh Nayak Diwas' will be observed in the state on 23 January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose," she further added.

The government has also planned a rally in memory of Netaji to be organised on 23 January.

"On 23 January, a rally will be taken out from Shyambazar to the Netaji Statue in Kolkata at 12:15 pm, along with the police band. A tableau will also be displayed on the theme based on Netaji's life on 26 January" , Mamata said.

She further suggested that people across the country blow a conch at 12:15pm on 23 January to pay tribute to Netaji.

In the meeting, the chief minister also asked the Centre to declassify all the Netaji files, saying that the Bengal government had declassified all the files in its possession.

"We want the Centre to declassify all files of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that is yet to be done," she said.

This demand has been made by Banerjee since November 2020.

"We have made public all files related to Netaji. The Centre had promised before coming to power that it would declassify documents on Netaji. But they have not done so, as a result of which the mystery hasn't been solved. We believe it will done this year (it might be revealed)," the chief minister said in November.

On 18 November 2020, Mamata had written to PM Modi requesting his intervention in declaring 23 January a national holiday.

The prime minister is also expected to visit Bengal this month on the occasion of Netaji's birthday.