Bhopal: Governor Mangubhai Patel has said that the celebration of the foundation day of the states brings the spirit of unity and the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Understanding the diversity of the country inspires to promote dialogue and cooperation among different cultures. He said that Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Abhiyan is the result of the broad and far-sighted thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He thanked the Prime Minister for the initiative of the campaign. He called upon the countrymen to respect the diversity of the states and promote the shared cultural heritage to strengthen the unity of India. Governor Patel was addressing the joint celebration of the foundation day of Telangana and West Bengal in the Sandipani Auditorium of the Raj Bhavan. On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor K.C. Gupta, Additional Secretary Umashankar Bhargava and natives of both the states residing in the state were present. Governor Mangubhai Patel said that our country is diverse and multi-cultural, whose form is made up of the unique culture, language, history and traditions of different states. The unity in diversity of different states has made India’s identity in diversity known in the world. To understand the heritage of the distinct cultural traditions of the states and the fundamental unity in diversity is to make one India a great India. He said that the unity in the cultural diversity of Telangana and Bengal can be understood in their cultural similarities. Both the cultures include vibrant art, dance, music and festivals. Their folk art and tribal traditions are also unique. While Kali Puja is organized in Bengal, the traditional festival Bonalu is celebrated in Telangana for the worship of Goddess Mahakali. Similarly, the festival of Batukamma is celebrated with enthusiasm during Navratri in Telangana. In Bengal, it is celebrated as Durga Puja.
Governor Mangubhai Patel said that along with the revolutionaries Khudiram Bose, Surya Sen, Prafulla Chaki, Bagha Jatin and Nalini Das from Eastern India, revolutionaries Alluri Sitaram Raju, Pingali Venkaiah from South India also became the voice of struggle with equal loyalty and dedication against the British. If our national song- Vande Mataram and national anthem- Jana-Gana-Man and our favourite national address Jai Hind are gifts from the East, the design of the national flag Tricolour is a gift of Pingali Venkaiah from the South. As the first citizen of Madhya Pradesh, he extended his hearty congratulations on the foundation day of Telangana and Bengal states. He appreciated the initiative of jointly organising the foundation day of India’s newest state Telangana and the oldest state West Bengal. He presented certificates to the artists involved in the cultural presentations and appreciated them and wished them a bright future. Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel was felicitated by the representatives of both the states in the ceremony as per the tradition of their states. In the programme, the video message of Telangana Governor Shri Jishnu Dev Verma and the message of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose were read out. A short film about the state was also shown. On this occasion, a short film related to the history, culture and progress of Madhya Pradesh was shown.
At the beginning of the programme, Governor Patel was welcomed by Kishore Naidu from Telugu Sangam Bhopal and Rambabu Padala, President of Balaji Temple BHEL Bhopal by presenting him a traditional artwork. President of Bengali Association Bhopal N. Banerjee and Secretary Salil Chatterjee welcomed him by presenting him with the famous Shola paper artwork of Bengal. Member of Telugu Sangam Bhopal Vidya Kolli delivered the welcome address. President of Bengali Association Bhopal N. Banerjee expressed his gratitude. In the joint function of the states before Governor Mangubhai Patel, presentations based on the glorification of art, culture and history of both the states were held. Dance artists of Telangana state gave presentations under the direction of Guru Manjumani. The devotional presentation of Bathukamma, Brahmam Okate and Nag Nagam dance gave spirituality to the atmosphere. T.T. of Bengal Association The songs and dances presented by the representatives of Nagar, Saket Nagar and Dakshineshwar Kalibari based on the revolutionary struggle of Bengal, the Swadeshi movement and the patriotism of poets Bankim Chandra, Rajnikanth, Sudipdas Gupta, Jeevan Anand and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore received applause from the audience. Artists of all age groups took part in these presentations. Certificates were given to the cultural teams of the states. On this occasion, the guests also enjoyed delicious cuisines of both the states.
