The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had greeted people for Rakhi on Facebook on Wednesday itself, but Thursday saw her party, the Trinamool Congress, take the festival to the streets and to common people.
As loudspeakers blared the history of the Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Kolkata – Rabindranath Tagore promoted Hindu-Muslim unity after the Partition of Bengal in 1905 through this – the Trinamool Congress workers distributed rakhis and gifted sweets to the public at important crossings in the morning. Rabindra Sangeet was also played at several street corners to usher in a 'harmonious and festive mood'.
Though political pundits see this as an attempt to win popularity among the minority community before the panchayat polls, which are around October, party leaders saw this as a measure to get closer to the people. 'This was not just a political gesture but an effort of the party to come close to the people and to familiarise themselves with their joys and sorrows. Hence, we organised the rakhi utsav on a mass scale,' the senior cabinet minister Subrata Mukherjee told Millennium Post.
Shortly after arriving at the Writers' Building, the chief minister tied a rakhi on the wrist of the operator of the VIP lift. State government officials and ministers also wished Banerjee as she tied rakhis on their wrists. In a gesture that was lauded by many, the chief minister announced an enhanced puja bonus for the state government employees, the amount for which has been hiked from Rs 2,100 last year to Rs 2,500 this year. 'This will be released by 1 October. Though it will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 500 crore. Still we are doing this because people purchase gifts for near and dear ones during their festivals,' Banerjee said.
Interestingly, President Pranab Mukherjee conveyed his Rakhsha Bandhan wishes to Banerjee, whom he had called his 'sister' during the run up to the presidential poll. Banerjee reciprocated and wished him and his family.
As loudspeakers blared the history of the Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Kolkata – Rabindranath Tagore promoted Hindu-Muslim unity after the Partition of Bengal in 1905 through this – the Trinamool Congress workers distributed rakhis and gifted sweets to the public at important crossings in the morning. Rabindra Sangeet was also played at several street corners to usher in a 'harmonious and festive mood'.
Though political pundits see this as an attempt to win popularity among the minority community before the panchayat polls, which are around October, party leaders saw this as a measure to get closer to the people. 'This was not just a political gesture but an effort of the party to come close to the people and to familiarise themselves with their joys and sorrows. Hence, we organised the rakhi utsav on a mass scale,' the senior cabinet minister Subrata Mukherjee told Millennium Post.
Shortly after arriving at the Writers' Building, the chief minister tied a rakhi on the wrist of the operator of the VIP lift. State government officials and ministers also wished Banerjee as she tied rakhis on their wrists. In a gesture that was lauded by many, the chief minister announced an enhanced puja bonus for the state government employees, the amount for which has been hiked from Rs 2,100 last year to Rs 2,500 this year. 'This will be released by 1 October. Though it will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 500 crore. Still we are doing this because people purchase gifts for near and dear ones during their festivals,' Banerjee said.
Interestingly, President Pranab Mukherjee conveyed his Rakhsha Bandhan wishes to Banerjee, whom he had called his 'sister' during the run up to the presidential poll. Banerjee reciprocated and wished him and his family.