CHANDIGARH: Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya on Friday hailed West Bengal’s rich cultural and social legacy, while interacting with people from the state on the occasion of West Bengal Foundation day which was celebrated with usual fervor and enthusiasm at Raj Bhawan. The function was chaired by Governor Bandaru Dattatraya. Secretary to Governor Atul Dwivedi was also present on the occasion.
“West Bengal boasts a rich intellectual and artistic legacy. It was the cradle of the Bengal Renaissance in the 19th and early 20th centuries, producing luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Ram Krishna Paramhans, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray, and Sri Aurobindo, ” said Dattatraya.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision behind the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ program, he said that they should promote national integration and strengthen the fabric of unity in diversity by getting closer to the cultural value system of all States and Union Territories.
“The program ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ aims to enhance understanding and bonding among the people of different States and Union Territories by fostering cultural exchange, linguistic learning, and mutual appreciation of traditions, heritage, cuisine, and lifestyle, ” he said, while appreciating Bengali literature, music, and cinema have made significant contributions to Indian culture.
Governor Dattatraya praised them for their contributions to the development of Haryana and Chandigarh, and promised all help to them in promoting and sustaining their cultural legacy. Mri Dattatraya also praised the contributions of Buddhist monks guided by the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in promoting peace, love and compassion in the society.
Sharing his feelings on the occasion, Ronil Barua, Chairman, Bengal Buddhist Association, Chandigarh, said that they were extremely happy to be settled in Chandigarh. “We came to this place after the partition from today’s Bangladesh and settled here. We are grateful to the people of Chandigarh and the region for embracing us with love, care and compassion, ” said Barua.
Smt Nandita Barua, while sharing her thoughts on the occasion, said that they were feeling totally integrated into the social and cultural milieu of the region. A cultural program was also organized on the occasion. Participants included people from different walks of life including doctors, teachers and spirituality.