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| Blogger at Mujib memorial, Dhaka in Dec 2017 |
Big catch-point is - The Gandhi Peace Prize from Indian Ministry of Culture is given for Social, Economic and Political transformation through Non-Violence and other Gandhian methods. The selection procedure did not allow the Prize to be awarded posthumously.
But given the contribution of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman towards peace, non-violence and amelioration of human sufferings and special relationship with India, the exception was made as a special gesture to honour and celebrate them, government sources said.
New Delhi: "The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 is being conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,"an official announcement said.
The Jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ,and comprises of two ex-officio members, namely the Chief Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha. Two eminent members are also part of the Jury, namely Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organization.
"The Jury met on 19th March, 2021 and after due deliberations, unanimously decided to select Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020, in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods," the announcement said.
It has been also announced that the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019 will be conferred on (Late) His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman.
The prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government of India since 1995, the 125th Birth Anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi.
The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.
Prime Minister Modi will be making a two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27.This will be Modi's maiden overseas trip since Covid19.
Observers also say there is also perhaps a political significance as the visit on March 26-27 could also get linked to wooing Matuas, a sizable Hindu population in West Bengal.
The first round of polling in West Bengal takes place on March 27.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met his Bangladeshi counterpart in Dhaka earlierthis month.Bangladesh is celebrating Mujib Borsho, the 50 years of Bangladesh’s Liberation and also 50 years of India-Bangladesh bilateral relationship.
"Our relations actually transcend even our strategic partnership, and I believe that our bonding is central to the realization of a dream of a peaceful, prosperous and progressive South Asia," Dr Jaishankar had said.
PM Modi will reach Bangladesh on March 26, the day observed in Bangladesh as the Independence Day.
He is likely to visit Tungipara, where the ‘Bangabandhu’ Mujib lies buried.
Modi may also visit Orakandi to pay respects to Harichand Thakur, the founder of the Matua sect.
Orakandi is not far from Tungipara.
Members of the Matua community have migrated to West Bengal from Bangladesh since 1947 and over the years and are now keen for legal citizenship in India.
This is also one of the keenly debated election issues in West Bengal this year.
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Over the years, prior to the advent of Abhishek, Suvendu Adkhikari had built the 'grassroots' for the party in at least 12 Lok Sabha seats and 88 assembly seats handing over rural Bengal to Mamata Banerjee.
New Delhi/Kolkata: Now that Trinamool Congress veteran Sisir Adhikari has joined the BJP, there are a few questions those need to be looked into in certain details.
What were the real provocation for him and his son Suvendu Adhikari to quit Mamata Banerjee camp? It was a pretty long association and senior Adhikari himself actually got associated with Mamata since 1994-95.
The fault line with Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew, is exactly what was wrong with Sanjay Gandhi running the Congress party and the Indira Gandhi government. It is the rise of Abhishek that finally resulted in the ouster of Suvendu Adhikari. No doubt, the bitterness between two camps has turned so personal and vitriolic.
Mamata Banerjee has called Adhikaris 'gaddars' and 'Mir Zafars'. In contrast, Suvendu too has hit both nephew-aunt duo below the belt. Other BJP leaders too have not lagged behind.
However, it is important to note that when Abhishek was nowhere near politics, Suvendu was Mamata's trusted aide in Nandigram and other political hubs in Midnapore region. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the 1970-born Suvendu represented politically sensitive Tamluk parliamentary constituency, close to Nandigram.
Undoubtedly, according to a report in 'The Statesman', Suvendu was one of the active lieutenants of Mamata during her battle against the Left move to 'acquire land' in Nandigram in 2006-07.
Do not be surprised that the CPI-M had even alleged that Suvendu was in supply of ammunition to Maoist cadres and other elements. While Sisir Adhikari was made Union Minister of State for Development, Adhikaris were surprised that Suvendu was not 'rewarded'. In fact, for a while Sisir Adhikari even lobbied with Mamata that Suvendu should be given 'some important role' in the parliamentary party.
This also did not yield any results. Mamata trusted veteran Sudip Bandyopadhyay as parliamentary party and Lok Sabha floor leader (for TMC). Dinesh Trivedi was later given cabinet berth and made Railway Minister. Nevertheless, Adhikaris kept on singing praise for Mamata's leadership. Sisir Adhikari said Mamata and Trinamool should make a determined effort to make inroads in other states and contest Lok Sabha polls in a big way.
Then Sisir Adhikari's classic one-liner was : "For us and Mamata, sky is the limit". The old man wanted a good position for Suvendu either in parliamentary politics or in the state. Of course, at later stage, Suvendu moved to Nandigram as MLA and was made a Minister.
However, Suvendu's clout was taken away. Abhishek replaced him as youth Trinamool Congress chief.
Mamata's politics and power-sharing games began slowly in 2014 when Abhishek contested the Lok Sabha from Diamond Harbour. He won by a significant margin and also became the youngest parliamentarian in the lower House. Slowly, Adhikaris were being sidelined.
However, there were several issues by then. The BJP had sat its eyes. By 2015, some BJP leaders like Siddharthnath Singh thundered "Bhag Mamata Bhag" -- the backdrop was Saradha chit fund scam and slowly people moving towards BJP. Mamata thundered back asking, "Who is Amit Shah?".
The Trinamool supremo's problem perhaps was also her ego. The BJP leaders kept on attacking her and ultimately took the battle to her backyards.
In 2012, I was part of a huge group of journalists who attended 'Social Editors' Conference' at Puducherry. In the inaugural session Jairam Ramesh, a Rahul Gandhi admirer and the then Union RD Minister, had surprised some of us when he praised Mamata and also Suvendu Adhikari.
He has said - "I am not appreciating Mamata for the first time. This could be your headline but it is true the Trinamool leaders and especially the MP, Suvendu Adhikari is successfully organising political rallies there".
This is Suvendu Adhikari and here it is why his defection to the BJP was such a prize catch.
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| Kolkata and Yellow Taxis |
Of course, Suvendu made his first move against Trinamool in November 2020 and later joined BJP in presence of Amit Shah on December 19.
Mamata walked into a trap of her own creation. She said she would herself contest from Nandigram. The target was of course Suvendu, but she was possibly looking for opportunities to flee Bhawanipore.
Ultimately, the battle is on at Nandigram. 'Khela hobey', she says suggesting the game is very much on.
Of course, Suvendu and for that matter even Prime Minister Narendra Modi says - the game is 'over'.
"Khela shesh....Vikas Hobey".
Importantly, politically, in 2019 parliamentary polls - the BJP had scored major win in picking up 18 seats - humbling some Trinamool and communist stalwarts.
The BJP had breached the well known Congress bastion of Malda - and could win a Muslim-dominated constituency.
Observers say Trinamool actually had lost on three flashpoints that actually made Mamata the real fighter and winner against the Marxists.
BJP's actress-turned-Neta Locket Chatterjee had won Hooghly under which comes in Singur. BJP also won three Junglemahal parliamentary seats and also Midnapore under which falls Nandigram.
Finally, one can say - brick by brick, Mamata has seen the downfall of her party vis-a-vis the growth of the Lotus party. These make the battle of 2021 serious and of course the 'war' is not only power in Kolkata. Not long ago, Mamata had wished to play a pivotal role in national politics.
She has certainly not given up such a dream-scenario.
ends
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