West Bengal Schools to Mandatorily Include Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Banglar Mati’ in Morning Assemblies; Mamata Takes Big Cultural Step

**West Bengal Schools to Mandatorily Include Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Banglar Mati’ in Morning Assemblies; Mamata Takes Big Cultural Step

Kolkata, West Bengal: In a major cultural move, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has made it compulsory for all schools across the state to include the state song, ‘Banglar Mati, Banglar Jal’, in their morning assemblies. Written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, the song was officially declared the state anthem in 2023.

Official Notification and Implementation

The WBBSE issued a notification on Thursday instructing all principals of higher primary and secondary schools to ensure the state song is sung daily during morning prayers. West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu stated, “This renowned song by Tagore, composed during the anti-partition movement of Bengal in 1905, will now be sung at the start of each school day across all government and government-aided institutions in the state.”

Historical and Cultural Significance

‘Banglar Mati’ was written by Tagore in response to the British colonial decision to partition Bengal, supporting the movement for unity. Basu emphasized that singing the state song alongside the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, will promote social and communal harmony.

The selection of ‘Banglar Mati’ as the official state song followed a citizens’ convention organized by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in September 2023, which included political leaders, religious figures, and prominent citizens. The assembly overwhelmingly supported the song, and a resolution was passed in the state assembly later that year to make it the official anthem, to be performed at all official ceremonies along with the national anthem.

Schools React to the Directive

School principals have expressed varied reactions to the mandate. Amit Sen Majumdar, head of Jodhpur Park Boys’ School, stated that his institution has been singing the state song daily alongside the national anthem since January, expressing pride that the government has now formalized what they were already practicing.

Subhrojit Dutta, principal of Hindu School, said that his school will implement the directive as soon as regular classes resume after the secondary exams. Some teachers, however, questioned the practicality of singing two songs every morning and whether students would be able to memorize the lyrics of the state song.

Political Context

The announcement comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with ongoing voter list revisions intensifying the tussle between the Trinamool Congress and BJP. Senior Trinamool leaders recently condemned the arrest of an Assam Congress leader for singing another Tagore song, ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ (also Bangladesh’s national anthem), highlighting the political sensitivity surrounding cultural symbols in the state.

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Kolkata, West Bengal: In a major cultural move, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has made it compulsory for all schools across the state to include the state song, ‘Banglar Mati, Banglar Jal’, in their morning assemblies. Written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, the song was officially declared the state anthem in 2023.

Official Notification and Implementation

The WBBSE issued a notification on Thursday instructing all principals of higher primary and secondary schools to ensure the state song is sung daily during morning prayers. West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu stated, “This renowned song by Tagore, composed during the anti-partition movement of Bengal in 1905, will now be sung at the start of each school day across all government and government-aided institutions in the state.”

Historical and Cultural Significance

‘Banglar Mati’ was written by Tagore in response to the British colonial decision to partition Bengal, supporting the movement for unity. Basu emphasized that singing the state song alongside the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, will promote social and communal harmony.

The selection of ‘Banglar Mati’ as the official state song followed a citizens’ convention organized by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in September 2023, which included political leaders, religious figures, and prominent citizens. The assembly overwhelmingly supported the song, and a resolution was passed in the state assembly later that year to make it the official anthem, to be performed at all official ceremonies along with the national anthem.

Schools React to the Directive

School principals have expressed varied reactions to the mandate. Amit Sen Majumdar, head of Jodhpur Park Boys’ School, stated that his institution has been singing the state song daily alongside the national anthem since January, expressing pride that the government has now formalized what they were already practicing.

Subhrojit Dutta, principal of Hindu School, said that his school will implement the directive as soon as regular classes resume after the secondary exams. Some teachers, however, questioned the practicality of singing two songs every morning and whether students would be able to memorize the lyrics of the state song.

Political Context

The announcement comes amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with ongoing voter list revisions intensifying the tussle between the Trinamool Congress and BJP. Senior Trinamool leaders recently condemned the arrest of an Assam Congress leader for singing another Tagore song, ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ (also Bangladesh’s national anthem), highlighting the political sensitivity surrounding cultural symbols in the state.

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