In his maiden trip to West Bengal as President, Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday sought the state’s support to create a better India by 2022 and acknowledged its importance for success of the Centre’s ambitious Act East policy. He also said the border state must guard against extremism. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee felicitated the President at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in an event that was attended by several dignitaries and officials, including Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. “In 2022, India will be celebrating 75 years of Independence. This will be an occasion to reach certain developmental milestones for our people and to create a better India. For this, we need to invoke the same idealism and fervour that contributed to our freedom movement. Bengal was one of the leaders of our freedom movement. It must lead this effort for a better India by 2022,” Kovind said. The President, who just completed a three-day tour of Northeast, said Bengal was one of the foremost industrial and manufacturing centres in the country and the state must embrace the latest technology to realise its potential. “Bengal has a great history but it is for each one of us to ensure that Bengal also has a great future. The state was one of our first industrial and manufacturing centres in our country. Its economy must sing again in this age of digital and robotic technology. Its green fields and hard-working farmers must embrace the latest agricultural knowledge to allow them to realise their potential,” he said. The President also said being a border state, Bengal must guard against radicalism and extremism. “Being a border state gives Bengal certain advantages. It also gives it certain responsibilities. Forces of radicalism and extremism, some of them with cross-border linkages, seek to take advantage of our democratic spaces. We must guard against this,” he said. The President said he was surprised when the Chief Minister presented him a painting made by her. “I assure you that of course this will be in Rashtrapati Bhavan. But it will always remain close to my heart,” he said. Kovind also lauded the state government for “playing the perfect host” to the U-17 FIFA World Cup. The President said he was “deeply touched by the warm welcome” he received. “This is my first visit to Bengal as President of India and I am absolutely glad to be here in this glorious state and this lovely city. This is a city with a heart. I have been visiting the state and I have been coming to Kolkata for decades now. I would say I have long been an admirer of Bengal and its culture and history. I promise that I will visit the state again in future,” he said.
