‘Governor’s move to bypass state Edu dept reeks of high ambition’

MP  | 9 May 2023 |  Kolkata: Following the remarks of the Bengal Governor, C V Ananda Bose that he won’t remain silent like Shakespeare’s Hamlet if ever a Constitutional, legal or political crisis befalls the state, state Education minister Bratya Basu, on Tuesday, likened the Governor’s recent “high ambitions” to that of Macbeth. 

A political controversy has erupted since the Governor’s address at Jorasanko on Monday where he said: “When there is a Constitutional, legal or political crisis, the Governor should not be like Hamlet in Shakespeare. Education should answer the question of ‘to be or not to be.” Education should be the guiding light, asserted the Governor. 

Even as the Governor did not shed much light on exactly which Hamletian dilemma he was referring to, political observers say it is most likely that he was referring indirectly to the silent tug of war with the state government ever since he reached out to the state universities without allegedly taking the state into confidence. On Tuesday, reacting to the Governor’s comment Bratya told the media: “Hamlet did not stay inactive, eventually. 

He became overactive. We all know what happened to Hamlet at the hands of Laertes. But, the Governor’s actions resemble that of Macbeth. The high ambition was a flaw in Macbeth”, Bratya said, adding that the Governor’s efforts to directly reach out to the state universities bypassing the state Higher Education department indicate “high ambition”. 

Lately, the Governor had made sudden visits to state universities in the capacity of a Chancellor. Subsequently, a communication from Raj Bhavan to the V-Cs of the universities clarified that Chancellor’s nod needs to be sought for financial decisions pertaining to the universities. This was not taken lightly by the state government. 

The comment of Bratya comes a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted to the Governor’s comment and said that he is misinformed. Mamata said that the chair of the Governor is a respectable position but the universities are run by the state Higher Education department. 

“Even I do not interfere in these matters. If my words are not taken seriously then even I can act accordingly. Everyone has a limit,” she highlighted. The Education department has become a thorn in the foot ever since the state government introduced a Bill in the Assembly which seeks to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of state universities. 

The former Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar did not give his assent to the Bill and neither has his successor so far. In this context, Mamata has said that if the incumbent Governor has any objection to the Bill he can “send it back to the Assembly and we will pass it again”.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/governors-move-to-bypass-state-edu-dept-reeks-of-high-ambition-517958