Mamata’s Durga Puja outreach eyes Bengalis in Delhi

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee extends festive greetings and certificates to NRBs this Durga Puja.

- TIKAM SHARMA

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a special outreach initiative for Durga Puja organisers in the national capital, extending festive greetings and sending certificates under the state government's Sharad Shubheccha programme. The campaign is widely seen as an effort to connect with Non-Resident Bengalis (NRBs), many of whom, though residing outside Bengal, maintain a deep cultural and emotional attachment to their native state.

Bengali associations across Delhi-NCR, which play a prominent role in conducting Durga Puja celebrations, have started receiving these certificates and letters of appreciation from the Bengal government, often accompanied by boxes of sweets. Organisers welcomed the gesture, describing it as both warm and thoughtful, and an effort to strengthen the cultural bond between the Bengal government and diaspora Bengali communities.