West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) marked the occasion of Sanghati Diwas, or Solidarity Day, on Saturday with strong messages advocating for communal harmony and condemning attempts to divide society.
Mamata Banerjee's Message of Unity
On the occasion, observed annually by the TMC on December 6 to mark the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media platform X to share her thoughts. She emphasized that the fight against those "playing the game of destroying the country by igniting the fire of communalism" would continue.
She extended heartfelt greetings on 'Solidarity Day', stating that the soil of Bengal is one of unity, shaped by the legacies of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. "This land has never bowed down to division, and it never will," she asserted.
Banerjee highlighted Bengal's pluralistic fabric, noting that Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Buddhists know how to walk shoulder to shoulder. "We share our joys. Because we believe that religion is personal, but festivals are for everyone," she added, calling for the maintenance of peace and harmony.
TMC Leaders Condemn Divisive Politics
At a Sanghati Diwas meeting held on Mayo Road in Kolkata, city Mayor and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim addressed the gathering. He accused a certain section of people of trying to use religion to stoke communalism in the state.
"Some are inciting unrest in the name of mosques, some in the name of temples. But the people of Bengal don't believe in religious fanaticism," Hakim said. He invoked the poets Nazrul and Tagore, recalling their vision of Hindus and Muslims being "like two flowers on the same stem."
Hakim also referenced the Supreme Court's ruling on the Babri Masjid case, noting that all communities, including Muslims, had accepted it. He claimed that attacks on India's secular fabric persist, blaming the BJP and comparing its allies to historical figures like Mir Zafar.
Drawing a contrast, he stated that while Pakistan struggles due to communal politics, India is among the top five nations because of its religious harmony. He accused the BJP, in power for the past decade, of challenging this hard-earned harmony, similar to the damage once done by the RSS and Muslim League.
Other Voices from the Trinamool Camp
Other prominent TMC leaders also voiced their opinions. State minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay claimed that BJP supporters do not understand the true essence of Lord Ram, who he said protected minorities.
Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee recalled Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's efforts to travel across Bengal after the Babri Masjid demolition to ensure peace and unity prevailed.
Another state minister and TMC senior, Sashi Panja, shifted focus to federal issues. She argued that instead of religious divisions, Bengal needs a united fight to ensure the state receives its rightful dues from the central government. "In Bengal, we celebrate all festivals 12 months of the year. But the politics of BJP is to allow riots and communal polarization. Our model is development and not communalism," Panja stated.
The day was observed with multiple programs across various administrative blocks in the state, reinforcing the party's stance against communalism and its commitment to solidarity.
