125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda speech: No need to air PM speech live, West Bengal govt tells colleges

125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda speech: The UGC had recently sent a circular, asking over 40,000 institutions to organise live telecast of the Prime Minister’s speech.

West Bengal govt, Narendra Modi speech, Partha Chatterjee, Vivekananda speech, World Parliament of Religion, Partha Chatterjee, India news, Indian Express

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee (File)

The West Bengal government has directed all universities and colleges under its jurisdiction to ignore the University Grants Commission (UGC) directive to organise live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on September 11, the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. “The Centre cannot do it without informing or without taking the concurrence of the state government concerned,” state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said at a press conference in the state secretariat on Friday.

“It is not acceptable to us as we feel it is a clear attempt at saffronisation of education. The colleges and universities in the state were surprised by the UGC circular. Then they approached us. I have clearly told them that there is no necessity to adhere to the UGC directive,” Chatterjee said.

The UGC had recently sent a circular, asking over 40,000 institutions to organise live telecast of the Prime Minister’s speech.

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The Union Human Resource Development Ministry had written to all states on August 7 to create a “patriotic mood” by holding events between August 9 and 30. But before Independence Day, the

West Bengal government instructed schools in the state not to follow the Centre’s circular to build “mass fervour” around the PM’s New India Mission that was to administer a ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’ pledge to all students. It also rejected the suggested format for Independence Day celebrations.

Read | PM Modi to address students on September 11

At that time, Chatterjee said the state government was not bound to follow the directives of the Union government on this matter. “We do not need lessons on patriotism from the BJP. Independence Day will be celebrated here this year in the same manner as it is celebrated every year,” he had told The Indian Express. In a circular to district project officers of the Sarva Shiksha Mission (SSM) of the West Bengal Education Department had said they should instruct all schools and educational institutions to stop all preparations for Independence Day celebration according to the directives of the Centre.

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