Mamata remembers Sister Nivedita from KIFF dais

Kolkata: From the dais of 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remembered Sister Nivedita.

It may be mentioned that a Blue Plaque will be installed at the London house of Sister Nivedita in connection with her 150th

birth anniversary. On Friday, she left for London to attend a ceremony that will be held at Nivedita's residence in London on November 12 and will be returning on November 18.

Asking the spectators whether they know the reason behind her visit to London, Banerjee said: "A programme has been organised to install a Blue Plaque at the house of Sister Nivedita on the occasion of her 150th birth anniversary."

"It would indeed be a proud moment for me to be present at the ceremony and I am proud as I am going to attend the function on her 150th anniversary of Sister Nivedita, who devoted her life for India. Suhitanandaji, one of the vice-presidents of Ramakrishna Mission is also going," she said adding that Bengal government and Ramakrishna Mission had been trying for the past two years to install the Blue Plaque.

The programme was first organised on October 28. But the Chief Minister had written them apologising that it would not be

possible for her to attend the programme as the final of the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup was on the same day. "They are so good that they have rescheduled it and decided to hold it on November 12," she said.

Banerjee raised a question: "Can anyone have any objection if Bengal leaves a global footprint and if the world comes to Bengal? We should be big at heart instead of doing only politics."

She further said that she usually doesn't go abroad apart from once a year to attract investment to the state. Banerjee stated that she had to go to Netherlands to receive the first prize of the United Nations Public Service Award for Asia Pacific for the Kanyashree Prakalpa. "It would have been an insult for the state if we had not gone to collect the award," she said.

She further said Bengal has proved that it can organise crucial matches like quarter final, semi-final and final of the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup.

"We are also ready to organise if Under-20 World Cup takes place in the country," she said raising a question that why should anyone have problem if film festivals and other festivals including the cultural and traditional ones are organised in the state?

"We always accept good things. One has to live with culture and tradition instead of continuing with politics the entire life," she said.