Appreciation for Salt Lake stadium has made all of us proud: Mamata

Jhargram: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the compliments given by the FIFA authorities about the top class arrangements at the Swami Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan have made all of us proud.

She was addressing a gathering of Bijaya Sammelan at the Jhargram stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

"The compliments given by the FIFA authorities about the infrastructure and arrangement at the stadium have made all of us proud. This stadium can become one of the finest stadium in the world they have said."

It was learnt that the Chief Minister will host a dinner to honour the president of FIFA on October 26. He is coming to the city to watch the final of the Under-17 World Cup final on October 28 and attend the prize distribution ceremony at the Swami Vivekanamda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

"There is great enthusiasm among the youth over the U17 World Cup. The state government has distributed footballs among school and college students and also among clubs. This has taken the form of celebration and celebrations help to intensify our social ties," she said. It may be mentioned that Banerjee has written and composed a song for the ongoing football celebration too. She said the football called Jayee and priced at Rs 2,500 are being given free of cost to develop love for the game among the students and youth. "These balls have been made by our girls and we are proud of them," she said.

Banerjee congratulated the puja committees and Muharram committees for holding Durga Puja and Muharram peacefully. "In 1982, the dates of Durga puja immersion and Muharram had coincided. I am confident that the Mumbai administration too would have faced great difficulty if the dates of Ganapati immersion and Muharram had coincided. In Bangladesh, immersion was not allowed on that day and so also in Uttar Pradesh. But here people had moved the court and we had followed the court's order."

She said some people had conspired and tried to invoke unnecessary trouble between people of different communities. Some tried to throw "a piece of meat into the temple so that there are fights among the Hindus and Muslims. But both the Puja committee and the Muharram committee sat together and worked hand in hand and foiled any attempt to disturb society."

She said in Bengal, through celebrations observed by the followers of different religions, the social bonding is strengthened. "The Hindus have Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Diwali while the Muslims have Eid and the Christians have Christmas and the tribals have their religious festivals. We respect all and believe that the culture of Bengal is religious tolerance.

"Religion is love and humanism and this is the tradition in Bengal. Religion is not setting someone's house on fire," she said.

Swami Subhakarananda, secretary Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira Ekakavya Model Residential School said Sri Ramakrishna had always spoken about religious harmony and peace. "We will not make celebrations in a way that hurt the sentiments of others," he said.

Meanwhile, Father George Anthony and Imam Saiful Islam lauded Mamata Banerjee for her constant efforts to propagate the message of religious peace and harmony.

Malay Dey, Chief Secretary said there was some tension over the peaceful

observance of Durga Puja and Muharram but the people of the state under the able guidance of the Chief Minister have defeated all evils.

Surajit Kar Purakayastha, Director General of Police said the Chief Minister's positive role has inspired the administration to work together with the people to maintain peace. "Because of her now the whole of Bengal has become like one family."

The function ended with the reading of hymns by the Chief Minister.

According to sources in Trinamool Congress , Churamani Mahato was removed from the post of district president of Jhargram and Ajit Maity was reinstated in his place. Maity is also the TMC district president of West Midnapore. Mahato was made the working president of Jhargram.