Shaheed, Swaraj were Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's names for Andaman and Nicobar Islands

KOLKATA: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose himself had named Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep, respectively, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reminded the audience at the patriot's birth anniversary celebrations on Monday, ridiculing the "current" practice of "chasing name and fame".
Banerjee, without mentioning either PM Narendra Modi or the BJP by name, exhorted people to resist "att-acks (on) the unity of India" because "Netaji stood for unity" and questioned why institutions set up by Netaji - like the Planning Commission - were being destroyed.
"Netaji used to respect every caste, creed and religion. He always spoke about unity, harmony and traditions. I am proud to be an Indian and proud to have been born here in Bengal. Take what you want but do not sell our nation. Do not attack (the idea of) India's unity," Banerjee said at the Red Road event. "This is a democratic nation. Here, we have a Constitution. Someone who violates the Constitution violates the rights of the people," she said, add-ing that no one should "tamper with the history of Independent India".
"Netaji taught us how to take the freedom movement forward and envisioned what a free India should look like. He formed the Planning Commission. But, sadly, it is no longer functional. There is no commission and only non-planning. I do not understand why this decision was taken," she said.
A real neta doesn’t need certificates: Didi
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, reminding her audience that Netaji had himself named the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said: “Netaji did it all, from naming Shaheed Dweep, Swaraj Dweep to setting up the Planning Commission and the Indian National Army. That was why Rabindranath Tagore called him India’s leader and a true patriot. A real leader does not require certificates from anyone. ”
The country, Banerjee said, was “stuck in a helpless situation”. “We are managing in Bengal. We have to face problems every day of the year but we tackle them. We, unlike others, do not run away fearing (central) agencies,” she said, alluding to the swamping of opposition party-governed states by central government probe agencies. “More than 50 central teams have been sent to Bengal in the past three months. Buthow many were sent to UP? The law cannot be different for different people. It cannot be discriminatory,” she added. Banerjee admitted there had been a decline in standards of political discourse. “We talk about politics now. Even they (pre-independence leaders) talked politics but there was beauty, there was sweetness, there was courtesy, there was courage. They were humble despite their courage,” she said.