North Bengal fest to begin on January 20

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, 04 Jan 2020, Siliguri: The 9th edition of Uttarbanga Utsav, the annual cultural extravaganza organised by the state government in north Bengal, will be inaugurated here on January 20.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was here on Friday to attend a march and meeting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, instructed tourism minister Gautam Deb to make necessary arrangements for the fest and select new venues in the region.

Sources said after the chief minister walked in the march and reached Baghajatin Park, she held talks with state ministers Aroop Biswas and Deb and some senior leaders of the party.

"While talking to them, the chief minister said the fest should be opened in Siliguri on January 20. The tourism minister has been asked to coordinate with other ministers and the party leaders who are based in north Bengal. He will have to monitor all necessary arrangements of the annual cultural fest," said a source.

The fest that is held for around a week has events like a mega sit and draw competition at the Kanchenjungha Stadium here, conferment of Banga Ratna Awards on eminent persons in the eight districts of north Bengal and distribution of scholarships to meritorious students, along with a series of cultural events.

"The party supremo has instructed us to select a venue in North Malda and include Kaliaganj (of North Dinajpur district) as one of the venues of the festival," the source said.

The instruction from Mamata indicates that she intends to draw support to Trinamul through the fest.

North Malda (Parliament seat), which the BJP has won, is dominated by the minority community, unlike South Malda.

"The BJP has played the polarisation card in North Malda and won the seat. Now Trinamul wants to play the cultural card as there are tribal pockets, Matuas and people of some other communities reside there. In such areas, cultural events can be popular and help drum up support," said a Trinamul leader.

On the other hand in Kaliaganj, which Trinamul won in the recent Assembly by-polls, the party wants to augment its support base.