Tableau rejection finger at Centre

Mamata in Calcutta on Friday. (Pradip Sanyal)

TT, Calcutta: Mamata Banerjee suggested on Friday that the Narendra Modi government had rejected Bengal's tableau with "unity is harmony (ekotai sampriti)" theme for next year's Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

"Our theme is ekotai sompriti. Is this the reason for rejecting our tableau? While other states have already received the go-ahead from the Centre, we are yet to get the confirmation," the chief minister said while inaugurating the Calcutta Christmas Festival at Park Street here.

Mamata alleged that Bengal had been insulted by not being allowed to participate with its theme of choice in the Republic Day parade.

Sources in the state information and cultural affairs department said the Bengal government had placed its detailed plan about the tableau before the expert committee that took a call on the themes.

"It is not mandatory that every state would have to take part in the Republic Day parade with a tableau... But it was expected that Bengal's theme would be selected. But so far, no such confirmation has reached Nabanna while majority of the states have secured the nod from the Centre," said a senior official.

The sources said the information and cultural affairs department had been informed informally that Bengal's tableau would not be allowed as the theme purportedly had no originality and had a political connotation.

"India is a land of linguistic diversity. Equality and harmony are our guiding motto," Mamata said at the Christmas programme.

Looking at Reverend Ashoke Biswas, the bishop of Church of North India's Calcutta diocese, who was also present on the occasion, Mamata said: "He is wearing his clothes; I am wearing a sari and someone else is wearing a salwar kameez. Everyone has his or her own choice of dress, food and religion. The Centre should have allowed our tableau," the chief minister said.

She further quoted composer and lyricist Atul Prasad Sen - " Nana bhasha, nana mot, nana poridhan. Bibidher majhe dakho milan mahan (Different languages, different opinions, different clothes. There is great unity in this diversity)" - to establish her argument.

Mamata said Bengal's tableau had won the first prize in the Republic Day parade twice and the Kanyashree theme was not allowed in 2015.