Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while remembering Independence martyr, Pritilata Waddedar, on her death anniversary on Wednesday, stressed the preservation of “the foundation of unity, harmony, and the synthesis of all religions” in the “current situation” of the country.
She said that the country achieved Independence through immense hardship.
“The great freedom fighters of our country had envisioned a free nation built on the foundation of unity, harmony, and the synthesis of all religions; preserving that legacy intact is our solemn vow,” the Chief Minister said in a social media statement.
These days, on any occasion, be it making any social media statement on any such occasion or during the inauguration of any Durga Puja pandals, the Chief Minister invariably refers to the two issues, or either of the two, the first being communal harmony and the second being alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in the BJP-ruled states.
Now, she had done the same while remembering Waddedar, one of the leading women revolutionaries from West Bengal, who was actively involved in the armed movement against the then British rule in India.
In her message, the Chief Minister also pointed out the rich legacy of Bengal as the native state of other iconic women armed revolutionaries, such as Matangini Hazra, Kalpana Dutta, Veena Das, and Suniti Chowdhury.
“I always believed that without Bengal, the independence movement would not have triumphed. Bengal is the backbone of the independence movement,” the Chief Minister said.
In 1932, Waddedar led a team of Indian armed revolutionaries launching an attack on the Pahartali European Club located at Chittagong, now in Bangladesh, which had a signboard that read “Dogs and Indians not allowed”.
In the ensuing fierce gun battle with the colonial guards of the club, she got shot in the leg, which prevented her from escaping. Instead of surrendering, she chose to swallow a pill of cyanide and thus became a martyr.
–IANS
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