Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said India would not have got Independence if Bengal was not there, as personalities like Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose, who contributed significantly to shaping the nation’s destiny, were born here.Speaking at a function marking the 12th anniversary of the ‘Kanyashree’ scheme, Banerjee said Bengal is the beacon of hope which stands for unity amid diversity.

“If Bengal was not there, India would not have got Independence. Bengal’s soil has produced eminent people like Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam and Subhas Chandra Bose. The national anthem, the national song and the ‘Jai Hind’ slogan are all creations of Bengalis,” she said.Banerjee’s statement assumed significance as the TMC has been leading a campaign centred around Bengali ‘asmita’ (pride), alleging “language terror” on migrant workers from West Bengal in BJP-ruled states.Maintaining that an overwhelming majority of the country’s freedom fighters came from Bengal, she said, “You will find that almost 70 per cent of inmates of the Cellular Jail (in Port Blair) were Bengalis. Freedom fighters from Punjab came second.” Banerjee told the schoolgirls present in the programme, “Tomorrow is Independence Day. I urge all to discard narrow-mindedness and divisive thoughts. Bengal stands for harmony and unity amongst diversity. We are strong and united”.She said those who had entered the country after the Partition are all citizens.“Only yesterday, I read about a father accompanying his son to a sporting event was not allowed accommodation at a hotel in Noida for speaking in Bengali. If we can honour your languages, why can’t you respect ours?” she asked.Banerjee also highlighted the “funds-deprivation” for Bengal and criticised the Centre for “curbing scholarships in higher education”.“The UGC has nearly stopped funding research activities. The state government is now sponsoring those academic endeavours,” she claimed.Banerjee said there is a need to learn many languages, including English, but one should not forget the mother tongue.“The sweetness of Bengali is all-pervading,” she said.Banerjee said so far 93 lakh students have taken benefit of the ‘Kanyashree’ scheme, which is aimed at preventing child marriages, and it would surpass 1 crore next year.As part of the scheme, poor schoolgirls in the age group of 13 to 18 are provided Rs 1,000 annually and given a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 when they turn adult, provided that they are engaged in an academic or occupational pursuit and are unmarried.The CM said her government has spent Rs 17,000 crore for implementing the scheme, which has also received UN recognition.“Due to Kanyashree, dropout rates at the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels have dropped. Dropout rates at the primary level are zero,” she said.The aim of the government is to make the youth self-sufficient and help them stand on their own feet, she said.