It's Mamata's 'Desh Nayak Diwas' vs BJP's 'Parakram Diwas' as Parties Fight for Slice of Netaji's Legacy
20-January-2021

The celebration plans for the 125th birth anniversary of India�s legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has sparked another political slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling-Trinamool Congress in West Bengal ahead of the state assembly elections this year. Bose�s birth anniversary will be a year-long celebration beginning this January 23.

While the Centre has decided to celebrate Bose�s birthday as �Parakram Diwas� (the day of valour), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that the day will be observed as �Desh Nayak Diwas� (the day of the national hero).

Following her Purulia tour on Tuesday, CM Banerjee said, �West Bengal will observe January 23 as 'Desh Nayak Diwas'�. Taking a subtle dig at the BJP, riding on the �outsider� jibe, she said, �I don't know the exact meaning of 'Parakram', maybe there are three to four meanings, so I can't discuss now.�

Soon after Union Minister announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s plan for �Parakram Diwas� in Kolkata, the TMC berated the Centre�s move, dubbing it as a political �stunt� ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls due this year.

�Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been demanding for years that January 23 be declared as a national holiday and celebrated as �Desh Nayak Diwas�, which is the appropriate name because Rabindranath Tagore called Bose a �desh er nayak� (hero of the nation). The Modi government takes all decisions unilaterally,� said Saugata Roy, a TMC Lok Sabha member and spokesperson of the party.

The BJP was quick to retort that the Centre�s decision to name the day �Parakram Diwas� �because Netaji is a symbol of valour and patriotism for the entire nation�.

On January 23, PM Modi is scheduled to participate in the first �Parakrama Diwas� event in Kolkata and inaugurate an exhibition on the grounds of the National Library to honour Bengal�s one of the most revered freedom fighters and cultural icons.

CM Banerjee has already announced setting up of a national university funded entirely by the state government, which will have tie-ups with foreign universities in the late freedom fighters name and also build a monument in Rajarhat. She has also announced that a number of Netaji's writings would be translated in various languages and that the state�s planning commission would be named after Bengal�s one of the tallest freedom fighters.

Meanwhile, disenchanted with both the Centre and the TMC, the Forward Bloc, which Netaji founded in 1939, and a section of his family demand that January 23 be observed as �Desh Prem Diwas� (day of patriotism).

Chandra Kumar Bose, a BJP leader and the grandnephew of Netaji, too, demanded that Bose�s birthday be observed as �Desh Prem Diwas� across India. �Chandra Kumar Bose, a BJP leader and Bose�s grandnephew, agreed. �#Netaji�s birthday on 23January is celebrated as #DeshPremDivas across the country by people from all religions, caste & creed as he was the #LiberatorofIndia & their own leader... (SIC),� he tweeted.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have set up different committees to chalk out the plan for Netaji�s birthday. PM Modi�s committee will be headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and will include Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a host of other prominent people from the family of historians, authors and people from Netaji�s Azad Hind Army.

Taking exception of the Centre�s panel on Netaji�s birth anniversary, the Forward Bloc had said, �Nobody from the Forward Bloc has been included in the committee. We will not be a part of it even if we are invited now.�