Independence Day celebrated across West Bengal

Along with the rest of the country, West Bengal celebrated Independence Day with much fanfare as the tricolour was hoisted in all localities across the state and morning rallies (prabhat feris) were taken out eulogising national heroes such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Khudiram Bose, among others.

Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took part in separate functions and paid tributes to the freedom fighters.

Banerjee unfurled the national flag on the iconic Red Road here where tableaux of various shapes and sizes highlighted the different social welfare schemes of the state government in addition to the march past by police and schoolchildren.

Bose paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Ghat, Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas, and at the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road here and visited Aurobindo Bhavan on Shakespeare Sarani to pay obeisance to the revolutionary, Aurobindo Ghosh, who later embraced spiritualism to become Rishi Aurobindo.

In the evening, the chief minister attended the state reception hosted by the governor at Raj Bhavan, had tea and exchanged pleasantries.

Banerjee and her cabinet ministers had a number of run-ins with the governor over issues like appointment of vice-chancellors and signing of bills passed by state assembly. She had even accused the governor of overstepping his limits, but Bose stuck to his guns.

However, the bitterness appeared to be missing in the state reception.

Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, hoisted the national flag at the BJP office in Nandigram and paid tributes to martyr Khudiram Bose at another place.

Tricolour fluttered in different city localities as clubs, social organisations and political parties hoisted flags at their local offices while many organisations took out colourful morning processions where children carrying flags marched on singing patriotic songs.

National flags were hoisted in state and central government offices and PSUs where employees participated in various cultural programmes organised on the occasion.

Throughout the day, people thronged tourist spots such as the Eco Park, Indian Museum, Alipore Jail Museum and other places while malls and theatres teemed with youngsters.

Several sweetmeat shops brought out special 'Swadhinata Sandesh' coloured in saffron, white and green which sold like hot cakes.