Governor R N Ravi pays tribute to West Bengal's heritage, vows to serve with 'utmost devotion'

Kolkata: Hours after taking oath as the 22nd governor of West Bengal, R N Ravi on Thursday paid tributes to the state's spiritual and cultural heritage and vowed to serve its people with "utmost devotion".

Ravi, a former IPS officer, was administered the oath by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and Left Front chairman Biman Bose. The programme was held at Lok Bhavan here.

"I am immensely blessed and profoundly humbled to have the opportunity to serve the people of West Bengal, a great land that has been the spiritual, intellectual and cultural capital of Bharat for several thousand years," the governor said in a social media post.

In his message on the X handle, Ravi highlighted the state's historical contributions, noting that it was "the land where the eternal wisdom of the Vedas blossomed, where the teachings of Gautama Buddha found new expressions, and where the great tradition of Bhakti flourished".

He also acknowledged West Bengal's pivotal role in India's struggle for independence, referencing iconic personalities such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Subhas Chandra Bose and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

"During critical periods of foreign invasions and occupation, which systematically threatened our culture and identity, this land gave birth to numerous great persons and divine souls," he added.

Governor Ravi concluded his message by seeking divine guidance, saying, "I pray to Maa Durga for wisdom and strength to serve the people of this land with utmost devotion."

Soon after Ravi was sworn in, the Bengal CM greeted him and his wife and welcomed them by presenting traditional 'uttariyas' (stole).

During a brief interaction with the new governor, Banerjee described West Bengal as a land of culture, and that Bengali people love those who love the state.

Ravi described Kolkata as the country's cultural capital and noted that it had served as the capital of India during British rule, adding that he would keep a close watch on developments.