PTI
Kolkata, January 18
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the proposed exclusion of tableaux of two states from this year’s Republic Day, sparking a major controversy.
Rajnath wrote to Banerjee informing that the CPWD’s tableau for the occasion pays tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, but his TMC was adamant, saying the state’s “dignity has been hurt”.
Singh indicated in his letter that since Bose was already featured in the tableau of the Central Public Works Department, the tableau from West Bengal was not included for the parade without saying so much.
“Our government celebrated the 75th anniversary of Netaji, the government in exile in 1943, with great fanfare in 2018. It was our government that included and felicitated the surviving soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) in the Republic Day parade. Singh said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Banerjee had expressed “shock” at the rejection of a state tableau based on Bose and his Indian National Army. It also included other Bengali icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.
Banerjee urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision, saying it would “pain” the people of West Bengal if it did not back down. He had said that no reason was given for rejecting the tableau.
Bose’s only child Anita Bose Faf said on Monday that the legacy of the great freedom fighter has often been “partially exploited” for political reasons.
While acknowledging the fanfare that marked the start of Bose’s 125th birth anniversary year celebrations in Kolkata in 2021, he said nothing had anything to do with the West Bengal elections.
“The inauguration of the anniversary year was celebrated in a big way, everywhere in Kolkata, elections in Bengal and election prospects had something to do with it. The fact that nothing happened this year….of course the issue is not as important as last year,” she had told PTI in an exclusive interview.
TMC general secretary and West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee reacted sharply to Singh’s letter and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s tweet, stating that an expert committee of eminent persons sent by states, central ministries and public sector units Tableau shortlists the proposals. “Centre has hurt the dignity of Bengal, which has been a pioneer in the freedom movement and the birthplace of Netaji… How much effort and research went into the tableau, but it was summarily rejected without any reason for political reasons. Gaya. Thoughts. They have ignored the history of freedom struggle which is incomplete without Bengal.
The remarks of a Defense Ministry (MoD) official in New Delhi that the decision not to include tableaux from Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in the Republic Day parade will not be modified, angered the TMC, which called the decision an “insult”. said. For the people of West Bengal. All three states have non-BJP governments.
“Existing norms and selection proposals were followed faithfully. Since @narendramodi @PMOIndia: 2018 & 2021: Kerala tableau selected. 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021: Tamil Nadu picks 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2021: West Bengal picks,” she wrote on Twitter.
“Incidentally, this year the tableau of @CPWDGOV features Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Stop seeing bad politics in a performance celebrating India,” he added.
The All India Forward Bloc, a party founded by the famous freedom fighter, also reacted sharply to the exclusion of the West Bengal tableau highlighting Bose’s contribution.
The legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose should not be seen through the prism of Centre-State politics. The Center should have a clear policy regarding the representation of the states in the Republic Day parade. It cannot be the whims and fancies of BJP leaders and some bureaucrats,” said its general secretary Devvrat Biswas.
Bose started AIFB in 1939.
“It seems that the Center does not want to propagate the ideal of Netaji and hence it does not want to allow the tableau of West Bengal. We had earlier demanded that Netaji’s life and struggle should be included in the school lessons but the Center did nothing.
Netaji’s grandson Chandra Kumar Bose, however, thanked the Center for the decision to include the CPWD’s tableau on Bose in the Republic Day parade.
“The people of our great nation appreciate that the Government of India is making a tableau of Netaji for the Republic Day Parade 2022. But there was no harm in allowing the tableau of the state government as well. However, the real tribute to Netaji would be to follow and implement his inclusive ideology to unite all communities as Indians to take the country forward,” he said.
Following the due process, Rajnath Singh wrote a letter to Stalin
Rajnath Singh, in his letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, said the selection was “as per the laid down guidelines”.
The letter comes a day after Stalin complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for throwing out his state model.
In a letter to Modi, Stalin said the rejection was “disappointing” and would deeply hurt the sentiments and patriotism of the people of the state.
Responding to Stalin, the Defense Minister wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, stating that Tamil Nadu’s proposal had been considered in the first three rounds of selection meetings, but it was rejected by the 12 tableaux selected to participate in the RDP-2022. could not be included in the final list of ,
Singh said, “There exists a well established system for selection of tableaux for participation in Republic Day Parade, according to which Ministry of Defense invites proposals for tableaux from all States/UTs and Central Ministries/Departments “
The proposals for tableaux received from various states, union territories, central ministries and departments are evaluated in a series of meetings of an expert committee consisting of eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography etc. . Minister added.
“The expert committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations,” he said.
He said that the tableaux are shortlisted by the expert committee as per the time slot allotted for the tableaux in the total duration of the parade.
He said that a total of 29 proposals have been received from states and union territories including Tamil Nadu for RDP-2022 (Republic Day Parade-2022).
“The tableau of the Tamil Nadu state government was considered in the first three rounds of meetings. After the third round of meeting, the tableau could not make it to the final list of 12 tableaus selected to participate in the RDP-2022.
However, during the last few years, tableaux from Tamil Nadu have been selected to participate in RDP-2017, RDP-2019, RDP-2020 and RDP-2021, Singh said.
“Looking at the above details, you would appreciate that the selection of tableau is in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the matter,” he said.
The Kerala government on Friday opposed the removal of the tableau of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
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