Is Mamata’s celebration of Netaji in Bengal aimed at countering BJP brand of nationalism?

Banerjee at her office Nabanna on Monday held a meeting with various literary persons, people from the art and culture field, seeking their suggestions on how the national icon can be celebrated from Jan 23, the day of Netaji's birth anniversary, onwards.

Demanding a national holiday from the central government on Netaji's birth anniversary, Banerjee said Jan 23 will be celebrated as the "National Hero Day".

The CM will also take out a rally near the iconic statue of Netaji at Shyambazar Five Point in north Kolkata along with literary people on Jan 23.

Not just on the specific day, Banerjee, who is set to face an election in a few months' time, said Netaji's tableau will be a part of the Republic Day celebrations held every year in central Kolkata.

India's Independence Day this year will also be dedicated to the icon, announced the administrative head.

Construction of Netaji's monument in Rajarhat, setting up of Bangla Planning Commission with a national outreach, creation of Jai Hind Bahini in all government schools, colleges and universities and a new national university in the name of Netaji fully funded by the State were the other proposals made the CM on Monday.

Students who will be participating in the Jai Hind Bahini will be given preference for social works and scholarships.

The announcements came at a time the West Bengal politics, which is already caught between the bipolar contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) primarily, is heated up by the reports that Modi may visit the state on Jan 23 and deliver an address.

Banerjee's slew of announcements is significant as not only Netaji is a national icon, often referred to as the "Forgotten Hero", but also the veteran politician is riding against the reasonable waves of the rising BJP, whose strongest and tested agenda across the nation remains nationalism.

In this context, political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty told India Blooms, "I consider this as a part of the Bangla-Bangali politics played out by the Trinamool Congress. The Trinamool is trying to counter BJP's nationalistic Hindu discourse with regional discourse. Giving significance to Netaji's birth anniversary is a way to intensify that counter-attack.

"And I feel Trinamool has been successful in that to some extent because BJP is not being able to ignore the issue. Rather, the BJP is trying to invoke the Bangla-Bangali, Rabindranath Tagore but they are suffering setbacks.

"In that scenario, the BJP is appearing as an outsider party. So, the BJP is falling in the trap of the Trinamool."

Reacting to the announcements made by the CM, BJP leader and Netaji's grand nephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, told India Blooms, "It is a good thing if somebody pays honour to Netaji but no party should take any political mileage out of it. That should not happen. We as a family welcome if someone celebrates Netaji's 125th birth anniversary in a befitting manner."

Bose added, "I want to give one message to both the central and state governments that one should follow Netaji's inclusive ideology and philosophy to really unite the nation because Netaji did not make any differentiation between communities.

"He believed in equality for all and an egalitarian society. So that is what everybody should strive for."