West Bengal Governor Celebrates State's 'Foundation Day' Amid Conflict With Mamata Banerjee Government

On Tuesday (20 June), the West Bengal Raj Bhavan celebrated the state's 'Foundation Day' for the first time, a demand made by the BJP a year ago and opposed by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Ahead of Independence in 1947, the Bengal Assembly held two separate meetings of legislators on 20 June. One group voted to stay in India, while the other chose to go with Pakistan. The day 20 June marks this significant day in history.

The ruling Trinamool Congress argues that 20 June is a day of sorrow and bloodshed for the people of West Bengal. It marks the division of Bengal into West Bengal and East Pakistan (later, Bangladesh). Therefore, it should not be celebrated as Bengal Foundation Day.

In addition to the two resolutions on 20 June 1947, which decided the division of Bengal, a referendum took place in Assam's Sylhet, where there was a large Bengali-speaking population. Sylhet chose Bangladesh.

In the violence that followed the Partition, almost 2.5 million people were displaced, properties worth crores of rupees were burned down, and hundreds were killed.

On Monday (19 June), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to the Governor questioning the Raj Bhavan's decision to unilaterally hold a Bengal Foundation Day, calling it unconstitutional, reported the Indian Express.

She described 20 June as a "painful" episode in the state's history and said it would "rekindle bitter memories of crores of people... and re-incite undesirable forces."

Banerjee also stated that West Bengal was created out of a "historical necessity."

"The state was not founded on any particular day, least of all on 20 June. On the contrary, the state was formed through the infamous Radcliffe Award, which was given legitimacy by the departing colonial/imperial government...

"Since Independence, we in West Bengal have never commemorated or celebrated any day as the Foundation Day of West Bengal. Rather, we have seen the Partition as a result of the unleashing of communal forces that could not be resisted at that point of time," she wrote.

The Raj Bhavan issued a statement clarifying the celebration of West Bengal's Foundation Day on 20 June 2023.

It addressed the "disinformation" surrounding the event and explained that the Government of India had communicated an "advisory for the commemoration of Foundation Days" of various states and Union territories.

The Raj Bhavan had already observed five State Foundation Days in accordance with the advisory, and West Bengal's celebration was in the suggested sequence.

The Raj Bhavan had already begun preparations for the commemoration of West Bengal's Foundation Day when the state government sent a communication on the evening of 19 June 2023, requesting that the function not be held the next day.

On the same day, the President of India sent her greetings to the people of West Bengal for the occasion.

The Raj Bhavan's letter stated that it would consider the views of the Mamata Banerjee government and take up the matter "with competent authorities for appropriate action."