The chief minister Mamata Banerjee today sent out a message of unity, asking everyone to “unite against forces who attempt to destroy our country and divide its people.” She said that “governments may come and go but democracy must continue to go on forever.”
Speaking at St Xavier’s College on the occasion of Christmas celebration, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said “I always feel good when I am at St. Xavier’s College since my connection with the institution has grown deeper over the years. We must remember that our constitution has several languages that speak of freedom, liberty, equality, justice, love and fraternity. These qualities are further enhanced through human interactions. Without us, interacting with each other, how can these qualities increase? We need to increase them especially in today’s time. When I come here, I feel India is a vast and democratic country and its origins lie in ‘Unity in Diversity’. There are varieties of religions, caste, creed and human beings. We all belong to humanity and hence, everybody should learn to love everybody since if we stop loving each other, everything will be lost.”
Miss Banerjee pointed out, “Nowadays, people of this country are facing a great crisis and are concerned whether their democratic, constitutional and fundamental rights will continue to exist and I assure that it will. Every citizen has democratic and fundamental rights, freedom of speech, property rights and right to education. However, we are now facing a genuine crisis where ‘divide and rule’ is being made into a law. We oppose this. All caste, creed, religion must live together. We must not forget humanity and love, and if these are lost, all will be lost.”
“All citizens must stand by and for each other. This united hope in this united country should never get divided. Once this gets divided, our hearts will be divided, and then we will not be in any position to say that we love all religion, caste or creed” said the chief minister.
Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, she said “Tagore had written where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. Our heads should always be held high and should never bow down before people who destroy our country. All communities including students, teachers, farmers, labourers, teachers, must remain united. Governments will come and go but democracy must continue to go on forever. I feel all holy texts such as Vedas, Koran, Granth Sahib and all the others, are of equal importance.”
Miss Banerjee ended her speech by saying, “Our only hope is to stay united since in today’s time, political pollution and the divide and rule pollution, is on the rise. My country must learn to love all. ‘Borodin’ (Christmas) is so called not because the day is ‘boro’ (big) but our hearts should be big enough.” She recited lines of poems at the conclusion of her speech. Meanwhile, the chief minister has also written a letter to all leadres of states governed by Opposition parties.
She wrote “Today, I write this letter with grave worries in my mind. The citizens of this country irrespective of caste and creed , particularly women and children, farmers, workers, and members of scheduled castes, tribes, OBCs and minorities are in the grip of fear and panic for the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC. The situation is very serious.