The tug-of-war between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP found a fresh flashpoint on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat broadcast, claimed that the Unesco heritage status for Bengal’s Durga Puja was secured through his government’s initiative.
The statement came in sharp contrast to chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool’s repeated assertions that the recognition was solely due to the state government.
In his address, Modi linked his government’s current efforts to have Chhath Puja included in Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list with what he described as a similar initiative that brought Durga Puja of Calcutta into the same global fold three years ago.
“Chhath has become a global festival. It is a matter of great pleasure to inform you that the Government of India is at present making a big effort to get Chhath Puja included in Unesco’s Intangible Heritage list. Once Chhath Puja is inscribed, people across the globe will feel its grandeur and divinity,” Modi said.
“In the recent past, with such a great effort of the Government of India, the Durga Puja of Calcutta became part of Unesco’s list. If we are able to provide such an identity to our cultural festivals, people across the world will be able to know about our heritage, understand it, and feel inspired to join it,” he added.
Durga Puja was inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021, becoming the first Asian festival to earn the recognition. The listing highlighted Durga Puja as a unique confluence of religion, art, and craftsmanship, underscoring its collaborative traditions while boosting its global visibility, local economy and cultural tourism.
Blatant lie, says TMC
The Mamata government has consistently dismissed any role of the Centre in the process, crediting the achievement entirely to state-level efforts.
Trinamool rejected Modi’s remarks again on Sunday.
Party spokesperson Tanmay Ghosh called the Prime Minister’s claim a
“blatant lie”.
He added: “Earlier it was his party that alleged Bengal’s government did not allow Durga Puja, then they accused the misuse of funds for the Puja carnival, and even protested the state government’s aid to Puja clubs. Now he has resorted to another lie to mislead people. This is most unfortunate.”
Ghosh questioned the Prime Minister’s knowledge of the process, saying: “I would like to know from him whether he even knows the name of the person who actually researched the issue. Such a blatant lie from the country’s Prime Minister is not just unexpected but shameful.”
He credited historian-author Tapati Guha Thakurta for spearheading the push for recognition. Her decades-long research, distilled in her book In the Name of the Goddess: The Durga Puja of Contemporary Kolkata, provided the foundation for the detailed dossier submitted to the Union ministry of culture, which led to Unesco’s acceptance in 2021.
The BJP countered Trinamool’s charges, insisting that the Centre had played the decisive role. “Trinamool has mastered the art of misleading people and ignoring facts. The Prime Minister’s statement is supported by documentary evidence. It was the ministry of culture that took the lead in ensuring the Unesco status. The records with Unesco clearly show Tapati Guha Thakurta’s research was submitted as the core document by the Centre to strengthen the claim,” a state BJP leader said.
