Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a star-studded event on Saturday handed over Banga Bibhushan award to Soumitra Chatterjee at a function at Nazrul Mancha this evening.
She also handed over Banga Bibhushan award to poet Nirendranath Chakraborty. There were three Banga Bibhushan awardees and eight Banga Bhushan awardees in total.
Handing over the award to the octogenarian actor Soumitra Chatterjee, Banerjee said: "We are proud to handover the award to the great actor. He has enriched Bengali cinema, has worked in Bengal for nearly six decades. Despite age, he is still working and enthralling the audience."
Banerjee handed Banga Bibhushan award to former Director General of Police Arun Prasad Mukhopadhyay, an administrator and a scholar in police administration who had served the Centre and state government in various capacities.
Banerjee said the day was celebrated as the Ma, Mati Manush took oath on this day in 2011. "We remember the contribution of people in giving us the opportunity to serve them," she said. Banerjee concluded her short speech by quoting a famous line from Tagore: amar matha noto kore dao he tomar adding: "In case people try to scare us, we should give a befitting reply holding our head high" and once again took recourse to Tagore and quoted a line from his poem: "Where the mind is without fear and the head held high."
She requested the awardees to guide the state government and criticise it for its failure "But please do not misunderstand us."
Banerjee along with Soumitra Chatterjee, Purnadas Baul, Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri and Ajay Chakraborty lit up the ceremonial lamp to mark the beginning of the function. Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, a noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent from Bangladesh, was awarded Banga Bhushan.
Chowdhury has set up a new trend in Rabindra Sangeet in Bangladesh inspiring young generations to read Tagore and sing his songs. The Chief Minister also handed over Banga Bhushan award to noted businessman YC Deveshwar for "doing business keeping the ITC headquarters in Bengal."
Dr Abhijit Chowdhury, a noted physician who has played a leading role in treating people with liver ailments was awarded Banga Bhushan. Chowdhury is one of the members of The Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences. Banerjee lauded him for his work.
Dr Dhiman Ganguly, a noted chest physician was awarded Banga Bhushan. Dr Ganguly has played an important role in treating people suffering from asthma and allied diseases for over four decades and is an example to the students of medicine.
Noted jatra personality Chapal Bhaduri too was awarded Banga Bhushan at the function. Film director Kaushik Ganguly sometime back made a documentary on Bhaduri which brought him to the limelight.
Khidmat Fakir, a noted "Fakir and Darbesh" singer was awarded Banga Bhushan. It may be mentioned that Mamata Banerjee has taken special measures to revive the traditional folk culture of Bengal.
Not only do the folk artists receive month stipend, the state government regularly organises function for them so that they can pursue their traditional art. Ganesh Rava also received Banga Bhushan for his contribution to the Rava dance along with Lakshan Das Baul for his melodious contribution to baul music.