Mamata confers Bangabibhushan award on BJP MP Ananta Maharaj

Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday presented the Bengal govt's Bangabibhushan award to BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ananta Maharaj for his efforts towards the socio-economic development of the Rajbanshi community.Maharaj, whom BJP sent to the Upper House from Bengal in 2023, later said: "What good is being a BJP MP if nothing is done for us?"
An outspoken critic of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls, which he believes is disenfranchising the Rajbanshi community he leads, Maharaj expressed dissatisfaction with the Centre. He said Rajbanshis became part of India in 1947 along with the "Dominion" govt, but complained that they have faced neglect, humiliation and criticism ever since — and that this neglect continues.Maharaj did not stay long at the event. As soon as the award ceremony concluded, Banerjee announced that the BJP MP had to catch a flight due to prior commitments. She expressed her gratitude to him for attending the event. Maharaj gave a brief speech thanking the CM and recited a poem in Rajbanshi before leaving.At the ceremony, which coincided with International Mother Language Day, Banerjee cited atrocities meted out to Bengali-speaking people in other states. She said Bengali was not only a language of great literary heritage but also part of a broader commitment to respecting all linguistic communities."We respect all languages. We are people from the land of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Out of respect for all languages, we say that if any language is attacked, we will stand against it. However, I see that anyone speaking Bengali is being labelled an infiltrator. Is speaking our language a crime? Why is there a conspiracy to take away our language? Those who are oppressing — a particular group of outsiders — should know that the Bengali language did not come by their grace," said Banerjee.The CM added: "Last year, Delhi's Sahitya Akademi nominated one of my books for an award, but because it had my name on it, they gave it to no one. I am not eager for their gift. This year, too, you (Sahitya Akademi) did not give anything to Bengali. Does no one write in Bengali?"Without naming anyone directly, the CM slammed the Centre. "Remember, we will not accept any insult to Bengali. Today, Bengal is under attack. What is the rush to exclude the people of Bengal from their voting rights, their culture and respect for their language? What do you want — for Bengal to disappear or to take control of Bengal by force?""Without Bengal, there wouldn't have been the start of the freedom struggle; there wouldn't have been a Renaissance. Without Bengali, social reform would not have happened. Without Bengali, the practice of Sati would not have been abolished; without Bengali, the widow remarriage movement initiated by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar would not have occurred. In our freedom struggle, 90% of people who went to the gallows were Bengalis and 10% were Punjabis. These were the two regions most affected by Partition. You must remember Jallianwala Bagh, in protest of which Rabindranath Tagore renounced his Knighthood," she said.Among the other Bangabibhushan recipients were artist Ganesh Chandra Halui, poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay and singers Sibaji Chattopadhyay, Sriradha Bandyopadhyay, Nachiketa Chakraborty, Lopamudra Mitra, Babul Supriyo and Iman Chakraborty.The Bangabhushan honour went to singers Monomoy Bhattacharya, Rupankar Bagchi and Raghab Chattopadhyay, footballer Samaresh Choudhury, actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay and the additional chief secretary in the land and land reforms and refugee relief and rehabilitation Department, among others, including a couple of vernacular TV channels.