Bengal govt issues notice to make state anthem as prayer song in schools along with 'Jana Gana Mana'

Kolkata: West Bengal government on Thursday said that all state-run and state-aided schools will have the prayer song 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol', penned by Rabindranath Tagore and earlier declared as the state anthem, from now on, along with the national anthem.

The song, 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol' (Bengal’s land, Bengal’s water), was written by the Nobel laureate in 1905 to protest the partition of Bengal.

Except for the National Anthem, there was no specified prayer song earlier in the state.

"As consented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, every state-run and state-aided schools will have 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol' as the prayer song before commencement of the classes from now on every day,” Education Minister Bratya Basu said in an X post.

This will be sung besides the National Anthem, he clarified.

The decision will "work as a catalyst for communal amity and social harmony and make our young generation conscious about the need to maintain social harmony," Basu said.

In his post, the minister attached a notice by the Deputy Secretary (Academic) "for regular singing of the State Song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol in the morning assembly mandatorily with immediate effect”.

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education President Ramanuj Ganguly told PTI that notifications have been sent to affiliated schools to this effect.