A notification was issued by Lok Bhavan over the weekend
A notification issued by Lok Bhavan over the weekend says the initiative aims “to encourage serious research, independent thinking, and informed engagement with a critical chapter of our national history”.
The contest comes amid a renewed debate over Kolkata’s history, triggered by the recent controversy over the renaming of Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road and references to the violence of 1946.
“This is highly objectionable,” said Mamata Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh. TMC has also joined hands with the Left on this,” Nanda said. People will re-discover what has been suppressed for all these years and learn about my grandfather’s true contribution to our freedom struggle,” he said.
It has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with Mamata Trinamool and CPM netas accusing Lok Bhavan of promoting a biased political narrative. “The governor’s job is not to propagate BJP’s narrative. He should protect the Constitution. CPM senior Sujan Chakraborty questioned the relevance of the gubernatorial office, saying, “If the governor works as BJP’s representative, why not make him the state BJP president? Bengal BJP spokesperson Bimal Shankar Nanda stressed that the topics are linked to events that are an intrinsic part of history. “The Left has always attempted to prevent true history from coming to the forefront. Everyone will come to know how they hobnobbed with Muslim League if the facts come to light. Santanu Mukherjee, grandson of Gopal Mukherjee (widely known as ‘Gopal Pattha), after whom Suhrawardy Avenue in Park Circus was renamed in June, welcomed the idea of the essay contest, saying it would allow young learners to know about a chapter in history that has long been suppressed. “The young generation will have to read and research in order to write about the topics.