Kolkata: West Bengal government has directed district administrations and educational institutions to observe the 'Paschimbanga Divas' (West Bengal Day) on June 20 with cultural programmes, seminars and special academic activities aimed at raising awareness about the state's history, an official said on Thursday.
The observance will commemorate the legislative process that led to the creation of the state and promote awareness about Bengal's history, including the Partition, an order issued by the information and cultural affairs department said on Wednesday.
The order, issued following a state Cabinet decision taken on June 3, said programmes would be organised at district headquarters as well as in schools, colleges, universities, polytechnics and industrial training institutes.
The order said district-level celebrations would include cultural festivals, exhibitions, seminars and outreach programmes through libraries, museums and cultural institutions.
To coordinate the events, a district-level West Bengal Day Celebration Committee will be constituted in every district under the chairmanship of the district magistrate.
The committees will include senior administrative, police, education, health and municipal officials, along with MPs and MLAs nominated by the district administration.
Ministers, ministers of state and legislators from the respective districts have been asked to attend the programmes.
A senior state bureaucrat said the initiative was intended to deepen public understanding of the state's historical journey and strengthen a sense of shared identity among citizens.
"The objective is not merely ceremonial. The idea is to create sustained awareness about the history of Bengal, the circumstances surrounding Partition and the evolution of the state. We want younger generations, particularly students, to engage with these subjects in a meaningful manner," the official told PTI.
Educational institutions have been instructed to organise special assemblies and activities on the day. These will include lectures in universities and colleges, essay, debate and quiz competitions in schools and higher educational institutions, publication of educational materials in Bengali and English, and annual memorial lectures in state universities.
"The government wants educational institutions to become the focal point of the observance. The intention is to encourage informed discussions on Bengal's cultural heritage, social history and contribution to nation-building," the bureaucrat said.
The BJP government had earlier announced June 20 as 'Paschimbanga Divas', marking the date in 1947 when the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted in favour of the creation of a separate province that eventually became West Bengal after Partition.
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