India News : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that the state government’s employment scheme ‘Karmashree’ will be renamed after Mahatma Gandhi. Making the announcement at a public event, Banerjee said she felt “ashamed” that the name of the Father of the Nation was being removed from welfare schemes at the national level.
Her remarks were seen as a clear reference to the ongoing political debate over the alleged changes related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), an issue on which the opposition has repeatedly accused the central government of undermining Gandhi’s legacy.
Banerjee said that under the Karmashree scheme, the West Bengal government provides 75 to 100 days of employment, and the scheme will now carry Mahatma Gandhi’s name. Speaking emotionally, she said the country was gradually forgetting the Father of the Nation, which she described as deeply unfortunate.
“If the Centre does not respect Mahatma Gandhi, then Bengal will,” the Chief Minister said, adding that she was not blaming anyone personally, but speaking as a citizen of the country. She stressed that Bengal would continue to honour Gandhi’s ideals and legacy.
During her address, Banerjee also paid tribute to several national icons, including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the Lal-Bal-Pal trio. She highlighted West Bengal’s inclusive culture and said the state respects all communities and ideologies.
The announcement comes at a time when the naming and identity of MGNREGA has become a subject of intense political debate across the country. The Trinamool Congress has accused the Centre of attempting to rewrite history and alter national symbols, a charge the central government has denied.
