Syama Prasad Mookerjee's life and work to be part of school syllabus in Bengal: Suvendu

Kolkata, Jul 7 (PTI) Asserting that Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's life and work will be included in West Bengal's school textbooks, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that "those who drove out the Tata Motors Nano factory from Singur should not be in the syllabus". The chief minister said he will convey his "appeal and wish" to the state's school education minister in this regard. "The story of driving out the Tatas from Singur should be excluded from the syllabus," he said on the sidelines of a programme to celebrate Syama Prasad Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary at the BJS founder's alma mater Mitra Institution in Kolkata's Bhabanipur on Monday. The Tata Motors' Nano car plant left West Bengal's Singur for Gujarat's Sanand in October, 2008, following prolonged anti-farmland acquisition protests led by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. Stating that it is for the syllabus committee for School Education to decide, Adhikari said he was only putting forth the proposal for including the life and work of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. "Syllabus cannot be decided by a political leader, but as an MLA of this constituency, I can make a proposal," he said. The chief minister said that from the next calendar year, textbooks should feature Mookerjee's contribution to the creation of West Bengal and inclusion in India, patriotism, ideals about an undivided India, his speeches in Parliament, his ministership at the Centre and his legacy in Calcutta University's teachings. "These should be printed, taught and discussed from school to university level," he said at the programme in the presence of the state's School and Higher Education ministers. Mookerjee was an alumnus of Mitra Institution from 1906 to 1917 and was on its governing body from 1924 to 1938, Adhikari said. Stating that the previous MLA or MP of the constituency did not do any development work there, Adhikari said he will provide Rs 25 lakh from his MLA-LAD fund for the current fiscal for the renovation of Mitra Institution. While Mamata Banerjee was the MLA from Bhabanipur from 2021 to 2026, TMC's Mala Roy is the MP from Kolkata South constituency, within which the assembly constituency is situated. Adhikari said that a committee has been formed for preserving the memories of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee. "The chief minister is the president of the committee and the chief secretary is the member-secretary; there are ten members from the government and ten other distinguished members of the society," he said. Noting that the state government has allotted Rs 200 crore for the 125th birth anniversary celebration of Mookerjee, he said, "More funds will be provided if required." Adhikari said his administration will speak with the Jharkhand government, if necessary, to conserve Mookerjee's property in Madhupur, which was once a popular retreat for Bengalis with many of them having constructed houses there. PTI AMR ACD