Syama Prasad Mukherjee's life to be included in school syllabus: Bengal CM
Kolkata, July 6
On the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that a chapter on the life of Mukherjee will henceforth be included in the school syllabus.
The Chief Minister made this announcement while addressing a function organised at the Mitra Institution on Monday afternoon to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder.
"The school syllabus should definitely have a mention about the contribution of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. I have requested the state School Education Minister, the state Higher Education Minister, and the secretaries of the department in this matter. I will place this request and proposal before the Syllabus Committee that will be formed in the coming days, which will ultimately decide what would be included and what would be excluded from the school syllabus," the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, for the first time on Monday, the birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was celebrated at Nabanna, the state secretariat. Despite being a public holiday, a group of state government employees reached the state secretariat and paid floral tributes to the statue of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder.
This year, the state government had taken several initiatives to celebrate the birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. One of them was the laying of the foundation stone and the unveiling of a plaque for a 125-foot-long statue of Shyama Prasad in an Eco Park at New Town, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Monday afternoon, laid the foundation stone. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and the state BJP president in West Bengal and the party's Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya, were present on the occasion.
Shah went directly to the Eco Park after landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata this afternoon.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I appreciate honoring historical figures, but I hope the syllabus committee maintains balance. We already have limited space in textbooks - adding more content means something else gets removed. Let's ensure students get a comprehensive view of India's diverse history.
Finally some recognition for a true nationalist! Syama Prasad Mukherjee sacrificed his life for Kashmir's integration. This generation should definitely learn about his dedication. #JaiHind 🇮🇳
As a student, I feel textbooks should focus on all national heroes equally - not just those from one political ideology. Including Mukherjee is fine, but what about other Bengali icons like Subhas Chandra Bose? Let's have proper representation.
Great initiative by Suvendu Adhikari ji! Syama Prasad Mukherjee's legacy of national integration is more relevant than ever. The 125-foot statue in Eco Park will also be a fitting tribute. 🙏
I have mixed feelings. While Mukherjee was important, Bengal's education system already faces challenges with syllabus overloading. Instead of adding chapters, perhaps we need to update how we teach history - making it engaging and inclusive of multiple perspectives.
This is long overdue! Syama Prasad Mukherjee was a visionary
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