Kolkata, 12 June (H.S.): West Bengal's newly appointed Public Education and Library Minister, Gouri Shankar Ghosh, has announced a major overhaul of government libraries, stating that books authored by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be removed and replaced with literature focused on nationalism, history, science and eminent Bengali personalities.

Speaking about the proposed changes, Ghosh said that several books written by Mamata Banerjee, including collections of poems, had been stocked in government libraries during the previous regime. According to him, such books did not contribute meaningfully to students' knowledge and would no longer have a place in public libraries.

“There has been a deliberate attempt to make Syama Prasad Mookerjee forgotten. His contribution to the nation cannot be ignored. Books written by him and books documenting his life and work will be included in libraries,” the minister said.

He further alleged that the previous government had neglected the contributions of prominent figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. According to Ghosh, the former administration functioned with a “dictatorial mindset” and promoted its own ideological preferences through public institutions.

The minister specifically mentioned that books by Mamata Banerjee which, in his view, do not serve educational purposes would be removed from library shelves. He said the state government plans to modernise libraries and enrich their collections with books on nationalism, statehood, modern science and the works of distinguished Bengali scholars and thinkers.

As part of the modernisation initiative, the government also plans to establish e-libraries using digital technology to improve access to educational resources across the state.

The announcement comes amid a broader debate over education and historical narratives in West Bengal. Recently, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that school textbooks contained distorted accounts of history and failed to adequately reflect India's cultural and civilisational heritage. Similar concerns have been raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders on various occasions, calling for a re-evaluation of historical narratives and greater emphasis on India's traditional knowledge systems, freedom struggle and cultural legacy.

Against this backdrop, the BJP-led state government has indicated that it intends to introduce significant reforms in education policy, curriculum development and the overall academic framework in West Bengal, with a focus on what it describes as restoring historical balance and strengthening national consciousness.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh