Kolkata, 11 August (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is set to address the people of the state through a radio broadcast ahead of Independence Day, marking an unprecedented move in the state and the first such Independence Day-eve address by a chief minister in nearly five decades.

According to the state government's plans, Adhikari will deliver his message to the people through Akashvani Kolkata on the eve of Independence Day. President Droupadi Murmu is also scheduled to address the nation through Doordarshan and All India Radio as part of the customary Independence Day-eve programme. The Chief Minister's address may be broadcast after the President's speech, although Prasar Bharati and All India Radio have not yet announced the exact timing or frequency for the state broadcast.

Adhikari himself has confirmed that he will deliver the radio address.

The radio broadcast is not the only new initiative planned by the state for the 80th Independence Day. West Bengal has, for the first time, been included in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Har Ghar Tiranga, Ghar Ghar Tiranga' campaign. Several programmes are being organised across the state as part of the initiative.

According to government sources, the previous Trinamool Congress government had not participated in the central campaign. The decision to join it this year has therefore assumed political and administrative significance, particularly as the new government seeks to give the Independence Day celebrations a different character.

No previous West Bengal chief minister, including Jyoti Basu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee or Mamata Banerjee, delivered a special radio address to the people of the state on the eve of Independence Day during their respective tenures.

There have, however, been instances of chief ministers using radio to communicate directly with the public. Former chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray delivered monthly radio messages on various issues concerning the state's development, while Prafulla Chandra Sen also used the medium to address people on matters relating to the state. Several chief ministers, including Bidhan Chandra Roy, had also delivered radio messages to students ahead of secondary and higher secondary examinations.

The latest initiative therefore marks a significant return to the use of radio by a West Bengal chief minister to communicate directly with the people, after a gap of several decades.

Since taking office, Adhikari has repeatedly stressed the need to preserve Bengal's cultural heritage alongside economic development. The state government's Independence Day plans are being viewed by sections of the political establishment as an expression of that approach.

The format of the Independence Day celebrations has also evolved over the years. During the Left Front period, the national flag was hoisted in front of the Writers' Buildings. Jyoti Basu hoisted the flag there in 1977, while the responsibility was subsequently handled by then Public Works Minister Jatin Chakraborty. Toward the end of the Left Front's tenure, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee presided over the flag-hoisting ceremony and received the ceremonial salute.

After coming to power, Mamata Banerjee hoisted the national flag in front of the Writers' Buildings during her first year as chief minister. From 2012, however, the main Independence Day ceremony was shifted to Red Road.

Adhikari is expected to attend the Independence Day parade at Red Road this year.

The Chief Minister's radio address has already drawn political reactions from the Opposition. Critics have questioned the significance of the move and alleged that it could form part of a broader attempt to reshape the political narrative surrounding Bengal's history and the freedom movement.

The political debate has intensified in recent months over the portrayal of Syama Prasad Mukherjee as one of the architects of West Bengal. Against this backdrop, the decision to introduce a special radio address by the Chief Minister ahead of Independence Day is likely to remain a subject of political discussion in the state.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh