TMC dubs Governor's decision to meet party delegation as "people's victory"
Kolkata (PTI): The Trinamool Congress dubbed Governor C V Ananda Bose's decision to meet their party delegation on Monday as a triumph of Bengal's resilience, in the wake of the indefinite sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, which entered its fifth day, demanding clearance of the state dues under MGNREGA by the Centre.
The TMC delegation, led by party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, is scheduled to meet the governor on Monday evening.
According to sources at Raj Bhavan, Bose, who returned to the city on Sunday, has consented to the meeting with the TMC delegation on Monday at 4 pm.
In an official statement, the TMC stated, "In response to our official mail dated October 7, Honourable Governor, West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose has granted an appointment on Monday, October 9 at 4 PM to the AITC delegation to be led by our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee."
The TMC celebrated the development on social media, declaring it a victory and stating that the governor had finally "relented" and agreed to meet the delegation in Kolkata. They highlighted their persistence in seeking a meeting regarding the release of pending MGNREGA funds from the Centre.
"Day 4 of our People's Movement on a street in Kolkata and @BengalGovernor finally relents! MP @derekobrienmp submitted multiple letters to the Governor seeking a meeting with our delegation regarding the release of pending dues of MGNREGA funds from the Centre," the TMC posted.
"After a lot of back and forth from 'Bengal to Delhi,' the Governor has finally agreed to meet the delegation led by @abhishekaitc at 4 PM on Oct 9. No force can diminish our spirit to keep fighting for Bengal's rights!" they added.
On Saturday, a three-member Trinamool Congress delegation met the governor in Darjeeling and urged him to take up the issue of the state's outstanding MGNREGA dues with the Centre. They also requested him to meet the protesters.
The TMC's sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, demanding the clearance of state dues under MGNREGA, has been a focal point in Bengal's political landscape since Thursday.
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Ladakh a living land of dharma for centuries: Amit Shah
Leh/Jammu (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday described the return of sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Ladakh after 75 years as a "historic reunion" and said that the Union Territory has remained a "living land of dharma", preserving and nurturing Buddhist knowledge for centuries.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Ladakh has been a living land of dharma for centuries. When the Dalai Lama comes here, he says this land is not merely a geographical land but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion," Shah said, speaking after the inauguration of the sacred holy relics exposition of Tathagata Buddha and the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations at Jivetsal in Leh during his two-day visit to Ladakh.
Calling Ladakh a land of compassion, he said this land has preserved and nurtured knowledge. "Whenever Buddhism faced crises, this land worked to protect the teachings of Buddha. And when peace returned, it helped to expand and carry forward that preserved wisdom," he added.
"Unless one internalises knowledge and makes it a part of oneself, liberation is not possible. Knowledge is incomplete without spiritual practice, while spiritual practice without knowledge is blind. Therefore, the union of spiritual practice and knowledge is the right path. Even after all this, if there is no moral discipline, one cannot lead a truly wise life. The basis of a life of wisdom is moral discipline," he said.
Shah said it was through Ladakh and adjoining routes that the teachings of Tathagata Buddha, which originated in India, spread to China and several other countries.
"The message that emerged from the land of Ladakh has become a guiding force for many people around the world to take their lives forward. The presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India's civilisation has, for thousands of years, given the message of peace and coexistence," he said.
He said that in a diverse region like Ladakh and Kargil, this message becomes even more relevant. "This heritage still tells us today that amidst conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions."
He said the return of the relics on Buddha Purnima had enhanced the significance of the festival for the people of Ladakh.
"These sacred relics have come to Ladakh after 75 years. It is as if Buddha himself is present here today," Shah said, adding that followers of Buddhism and people of other faiths in Ladakh and Kargil would draw spiritual energy from the relics.
Highlighting Ladakh's role in the spread of Buddhism, Shah said Kashmir was once an ancient centre of Buddhist studies, Mahayana philosophy and Buddhist art, from where Ladakh first came into close contact with Buddhism.
He said Emperor Ashoka's envoys laid the foundation of Buddhist influence in Ladakh through Kashmir and Gandhara, while Mahayana Buddhism expanded in the region during the Kushan period between the first and third centuries CE.
The Silk Route linking Kashmir, Leh, Yarkand, Khotan and Tibet became a channel not only for trade but also for ideas, monks, manuscripts and artistic traditions, Shah said.
He added that later, Tibetan influence between the seventh and tenth centuries further enriched Ladakh through Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions," he said.
Shah also appealed to the Ladakh administration to ensure complete arrangements so that followers of all faiths, especially Buddhists, could visit and pay obeisance to the relics.
#WATCH लेह, लद्दाख: केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा, "जब दलाई लामा यहां आते हैं तो वे कहते हैं कि यह भूमि केवल भौगोलिक भूमि नहीं है। यह भूमि बौद्ध संस्कृति और करुणा की जीवंत प्रयोगशाला है। इस भूमि पर ज्ञान का संरक्षण हुआ है... भारत की सभ्यता हजारों वर्षों से शांति का संदेश… https://t.co/2nwG0w2CE6 pic.twitter.com/W13itRBqeX
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