Students should be kept away from vices like cockroaches: Bengal CM in dig at CJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday took a veiled swipe at the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saying educational institutions should organise annual programmes to inculcate nationalism among students and protect them from the influence of what he described as "vices like cockroaches".

Adhikari proposed that schools and colleges conduct three-day programmes featuring elocution competitions, quizzes and debates every year to encourage students to develop a stronger sense of nationalism.

"Vices like cockroaches, bedbugs, tukde tukde gangs… which are trying to spread like the coronavirus… would not have required the spraying of 'Hit' (had they not tried to spread)," he said.

'Hit' is a popular brand of insect-repellent spray.

His remarks were seen as an indirect attack on the CJP, amid political tensions involving the party and its protest activities.

𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁, 𝗧𝗠𝗖 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲

The Chief Minister also criticised the previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments, accusing them of undermining West Bengal's cultural heritage.

"The 34-year long regime of the 'nastik' (atheist) Communists and the 15-year dispensation (of the TMC) tried to erase people's heritage and culture," Adhikari alleged.

He accused the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government of discouraging enrolment in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in educational institutions and promoting the 'Jai Hind Vahini' instead.

"Being in the NCC would have helped the students get selected as Agniveers in the armed forces," he said.

Adhikari made the remarks after meeting a family that lost a member in the October 17 stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata.

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱

The Chief Minister said changes would be introduced in school syllabi from the next academic year and asserted that the National Education Policy would be implemented in West Bengal.

He also criticised the inclusion of references to the Singur anti-land acquisition movement in school history textbooks during the TMC government.

Adhikari alleged that those responsible for driving Tata Motors out of Singur, including former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had been "eulogised" in a chapter of the textbooks.

"Changes will be seen in the syllabi from the next academic year," he said.

The Singur controversy had centred on protests against land acquisition for Tata Motors' proposed automobile manufacturing project.

𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Adhikari also expressed opposition to the use of mobile phones by students up to Class 12.

He said the state government would provide tablets to support students' educational needs instead of continuing the previous administration's scheme of providing Rs 10,000 to Class 11 students for purchasing mobile phones.

The Chief Minister indicated that the proposed changes were aimed at promoting educational discipline and improving access to learning resources.

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Adhikari further said the BJP government would not permit the circulation of literature in West Bengal that it considered anti-India, anti-Sanatani or offensive to any religion.

"People have repulsed such attempts that were undertaken by setting up stalls," he said, apparently referring to book stalls organised by Left parties in different parts of the state.

His remarks came as the state government outlined proposed changes in education policy, student welfare measures and curriculum content.