NATIONAL INTEGRATION AWARENESS PRESENTATION

INTRODUCTION

1. The land of ‘Rising Sun’ and ‘Shangri-la’ on earth are the two states of West Bengal and Sikkim with diverse cultural heritage, traditions, art and literature. West Bengal is the land of ‘Sujalam Sufalam Malayaja Shitalam Shashya Shyamalam’, a land of rich culture, thinkers of renaissance and revolution. Sikkim is the mystical land of mountains unique for its flora, fauna and mythology.

Dance : Sujalaam Sufalaam

PHYSICAL AND HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Dance : Badal Baul

2. West Bengal is located in the north-eastern part of the country. West Bengal ranks as one of the smaller states, but one of the largest in population. The capital is Kolkata, India’s second largest city.

3. It is of particular strategic importance to India's defence and it shares long frontier with Bangladesh.

Dance : Sikkimese Dance

4. Sikkim is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is the second smallest state in India, covering an area of 2,740 square miles (7,096 square kilometres). It became an integral part of India in 1975.

THE LAND

5. The Ganges River, much of which lies now in Bangladesh very little of its water now goes to the sea because of the famous Farakka barrage.

Dance : Patita Pavani

6. The sub-Himalayan tract, known as Duārs or Tarai which consists of lowland. From the Duārs, the Himalayan mountain ranges rise abruptly along the northern boundary of the state. Mirik, Kalinpong and Kurseong together form the queen of hills station Darjeeling, which is tourists’ delight.

Animated Model : Toy Train

7. Sikkim is a basin surrounded on three sides by precipitous mountain walls. There is little lowland, and the variation in relief is extreme. Kānchenjunga, India's highest peak and the world's third highest mountain lies in the area and is also the place of origin of Tista River. It also dominates Darjeeling landscape.

8. About two-thirds of Sikkim consists of perpetually snow-covered mountains. The Sikkimese have traditionally viewed the mountain as both a god and the abode of gods. The legendary abominable snowman, or yeti, called Nee-gued in Sikkim, is believed to roam its slopes. The State has high Mountain peaks , Glaciers , Snow covered lakes , Rivers and Streams and many passes .

The People

9. Majority of population is rural based however kolkatta along with other two villages has abdication of state. Of the different religions, Hinduism claims more than three-fourths the population, most of the remainder being other religions. Throughout the state, Buddhists, Christians, Jainas, and Sikhs constitute small minority communities.

Entry : Depiction of Various Religions

10.The common languages are Bengali in Bengal and Nepali in Sikkim. Agriculture

11.Rice is the leading crop of West Bengal and it cultivates 14% of nation rice and produces 16 % of its harvest. Jute is the second leading crop produced in the delta region of river Ganga. Darjeeling produces one of the best qualities of tea in the world, which is known for its flavour and taste.

Dance: Dhan Kati

Flora and Fauna

12.Forests occupy about one-eighth of the total land, and has a rich and varied plant life. The principal forest trees include Sal (a timber tree), Sissoo (which yields a valuable wood), and Sisum (Indian rosewood). On the Himalayan heights vegetation varies according to the altitude, with coniferous belts occurring at higher levels. The Hoogly Delta with its dense coastal mangrove forest called Sundarbans has been declared as National Park.

13. Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas. The forested regions of the state exhibit a diverse range of fauna and flora .The state has a wide variety of plants, from tropical to temperate to alpine and tundra.

14.The forests of the northern districts are inhabited by tigers, panthers, elephants, rhinoceroses and other wild animals.

Show : Wild Animals

15.A large number of floras and fauna exist in Sikkim the main ones include rhododendrons, oaks, orchids and medicinal plants. Unique varieties of bamboo are also found.

Display : Orchids

16.The fauna includes the snow leopard, the Himalayan Tahr, the red panda, the Himalayan marmot, the goral, the Tibetan wolf. Among the animals more commonly found in the alpine zone are yaks, mainly reared for their milk, meat, and as a beast of burden.

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

Scene : Battle field

17.The name of Bengal, or Bānglā, is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga, or Banga. . Its early history is obscure until the 3rd century BC, when it formed part of the extensive Mauryan empire inherited by Aśoka. In the 4th century AD the region was absorbed into the Gupta Empire of Samudra Gupta. Later it came under Pāla rule. From the beginning of the 13th century to Robert Clive's conquest of the province in 1757, Bengal was under Muslim rule, the last being the legendary Siraj-ud-Daula.

Dance : Sawariyan

Play Act : Siraj Ud Daula

18.Britain was not, however, the only European presence in Bengal. The other European powers vying for a foothold in the subcontinent were French, Portuguese and the Dutch. By the end of 17th century East India company established control over almost the entire area through various oppressive method.

Playlet : Europian Powers

19.Lord Job Charnak of East India Company purchased three villages Sutanuti ,Gobindapur , Kalighat in 1600 A D from the Landlords Subarna Roy Chowdhury for Rs. 1333/- . The group of villeges was named as Calcutta, now a Mega City Kolkata .

Playlet : Birth of Kolkata

20.In 1765, the East India Company was granted dīwānī of Bengal, Bihār, and Orissa. Warren Hastings, the governor of Bengal, became the first governor-general of Bengal.

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21.Delhi became the capital of India in place of Calcutta. In 1905 Bengal was partitioned into two provinces, (1) Western Bengal, Bihār, and Orissa and (2) Eastern Bengal and Assam, each under a lieutenant governor.

22.Bengal was constituted an autonomous province in 1937. This was the situation until the Indian subcontinent was partitioned into the two dominions of Pakistan and India after the British withdrawal in 1947. In 1950 the princely state of Cooch Behar (present name Koch Bihār) was integrated with West Bengal

Playlet : Partition of Bengal

23.It is pertinent to state that the spark which ignited India’s struggle for freedom originated from Bengal. The Saint Revolution, the Santhal Revolution and others led to the major revolt of 1857. Mangal Pandey, a soldier of the British Indian Army defied the orders of the British Officers at Barrackpore cantonment sowing the seeds for the first war of Independence.

Playlet : Mangal Pandey

24.During the last decade of 19th century W C Banerjee donned the mantle of Indian National Congress to fight against the British. Galaxy of leaders like Bipin Chandra Paul, Surendra Nath Banerjee and Rabindranath Tagore joined the freedom movement. Author of our National Anthem and Nobel laureate, Rabindra Nath Tagore did his bit through his poetry and classics. In 1919, when the soil of Punjab was stained with blood at Jallianwala Bagh, Tagore roared in protest. He relinquished the prestigious knighthood and cried “E-monihar amay nahi saaje” this jewel garland does not suit me which depicts his pious and deep sentiments towards the Motherland. At this juncture freedom movement got a new dimension and direction by the revolutionary songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam.

25.Concurrently, a revolutionary movement under the leadership of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh emerge, where hundreds of revolutionaries joined and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. Age was not a factor was demonstrated by Khudiram Bose, only 16 years old, smilingly faced the gallows.

Playlet : Khudiram Bose

26.The cry of freedom produced another firebrand revolutionary and son of Bengal, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. His salutation ‘JAI HIND’ is still reverberating around the country.

Enacting : Subhash Chandra Bose

27.Raja Ram Mohan Roy a social reformer whose name is synonymous with the abolition of SATI and Child Marriage. He also founded Brahmo Samaj .

28.Inspired by his guru Shri Ramakrishna Param-Hans, Swami Vivekanand taught the world the essence of Hinduism. . His famous speech delivered at Chicago at the world religious conference, stressed on the concept of a universal religion.

Enacting : Swami Vivekananda

29. During this time the literary works of Shri Bankim Chandra Chatterjee such as Ananda Math and Durgesh Nandini started the wave of Nationalism. Bande Mataram or salute to the Motherland became the main slogan of a freedom fighter.

30.Not only the sons of Bengal but also the daughters like Matangini Hazra was exemplary in the Quit India Movement.

Enacting : Matangini Hazra

31.The earliest recorded event related to Sikkim is the passage of the Buddhist saint Guru Rinpoche through the land in the 9th century. The Guru is reported to have blessed the land, introduced Buddhism to Sikkim, and also foretold the era of monarchy in the state that would arrive centuries later.

Enacting : Buddhist Priests

32.Little is known of Sikkim's history prior to the 17th century. The state's name is derived from the Limbu words su him, meaning “new house.” The Lepchā were early inhabitants of

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the region, apparently assimilating the Naong ,Chang, Mon, and other tribes. The Bhutia began entering the area from Tibet in the 14th century. When the kingdom of Sikkim was established in 1642, Phuntsog Namgyal, the first chogyal (temporal and spiritual king), came from this community. The Namgyal dynasty ruled Sikkim until 1975.

The Reformists

33.Bengal not only remained a vital coherence in freedom struggle, but was also a cradle of Indian renaissance. It took lead in social reforms and in making of modern India.

34.Another contemporary was Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, an educationist who pledged to introduce social equality to the women by promoting education among them, widow re-marriage and upliftment of the down trodden.

Playlet : Widow Remarriage

35.Not only in the past but in the modern times also reformists have emerged from bengal. Sri Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON also hail from Bengal. The working Headquarters of this organization is also located in Mayapur in Bengal.

ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Administration

36.Administratively the state is divided into 19 districts.

Education

37.The state has 10 universities, engineering and medical colleges. The universities of Calcutta, Jadavpur, and Rabindra Bharati are all located in the capital. There are also many technical institutes like IIT Khargpur and IIM Kolkata

Shanti Niketan

38.Shanti Niketan and Vishwa Bharati University needs no introduction since Rabindra Nath Tagore established it as an open air school and International University and great center of oriental Education and culture. The Noble Laureate Prof Amartya Sen also hails from this place.

Playlet : Open Air School

Welfare

39.Various welfare organizations working in the state include the Ramakrishna Mission, founded by the Hindu reformer and teacher Vivekananda in 1897, and the Order of the Missionaries of Charity (1948), founded by Mother Teresa, recipient of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.

Enacting : Mother Teresa

Administration And Social Conditions Of Sikkim.

40.The state is divided into four districts—North, East, South, and West—with headquarters at Mangan, Gangtok, Namchi, and Gyalshing, respectively.

41.Free education is provided up to primary level and higher education is subsidized. The latest modern Manipal University is located in Sikkim.

THE ECONOMY

42.Despite its small size, West Bengal accounts for about one-sixth of India's net domestic product.

Industry

43.The industrial development of Bengal is due to the ports, inland waterways and the mineral deposits of the state, the main industries being Durgapur Steel plant, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Damodar valley Corporation and Haldia Petrochemicals. The manufacturing industries play a vital role in the economic life of the state.

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44.Sikkim's economy is largely agrarian, based on traditional farming methods, on terraced slopes. The rural populace grows crops such as cardamom, oranges tea and orchids. Sikkim has the highest production and largest cultivated area of cardamom in India. Breweries, distilleries, tanning and watch-making are the main industries

45.In recent years, the government of Sikkim has promoted tourism which has grossly increased the earnings.

ART AND CULTURE

46.Bengalis have always fostered literature, art, music, and drama. Bengali literature dates to before the 12th century. The Chaitanya movement, an intensely emotional form of Hinduism inspired by the medieval saint Chaitanya (1485–1533), shaped the subsequent development of Bengali poetry until the early 19th century, when contact with the West sparked a vigorous creative synthesis

53. Bengal being the seat of Culture for centuries has a rich variety of music forms. In the Hindustani classical music there is old Bishnupur Gharana of Dhrupad and Dhamar. While from the medieval period there is Thumri and Khayal singing. There are also other varieties of music like kirtans and Shyama Sangeet.

Recital : Various Raags

Santhali Dance

47.Among other forms of music there are folk music like Baul, Bhatiali and traditional rural forms like Santhali and others. Last but not the least is the Rabindra Sangeet or Tagore Songs which has become a part of Bengalese way of life.

Dances : Rabindra Nritya

48.Among instruments there is Sitar and Sarod which form the hallmark of Indian Classical music with great Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shri Nikhil Banerjee and many others known for their performance all over the world.

Folk Songs

Dances : Baul, Batiali & Santhali

49.The main varieties of folk songs may be classified into three groups-Baul, Bhatiali, and Santhali. Baul songs are compositions of the Bauls - wandering minstrels of the Sahajiya sect who seek by their own special way of spiritual quest to discover God. Bhatiali is a song of the river side and broad fields, drawing out in long, slow measure and with a melancholy content generally a contemplative yearning for a beloved. Santhali is essentially the boatmen's song, rendered with verve to the accompaniment of vigorous rhythmic strokes of the oar as the boat glides on the river and is usually sung in chorus. The melodic structure of both types are simple.

Painting and Pottery

50.The visual arts have, by tradition, been based mainly on clay modelling, terra-cotta work, and decorative painting. The two principal variants of West Bengal pottery Are bankura style and Krishnanagar Style. The Asiatic Society of Bengal, the best-known Indian historical-research body in the 19th century, is located in West Bengal.

Model Display : Pottery

Theatre

51.Jatra, is the traditional theatre form of Bengal. The Jatra is performed by travelling troupes under the management of a man called Adhikari. Although, originally the Jatra  had only the themes of Radha and Krishna, today Jatras are written and performed by writers and dramatists of rural and urban centres.

Depicting of Jatra

52.In the field of dance the first and foremost dance form which comes to the mind is the one innovated by Tagore. This has a powerful influence on Bengali cultural life.

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53.Another contemporary form of dancing in Bengal was created by Uday Shankar who transformed Ballet dances of western countries into Indian .

Dance : Ballet

Chhau Dance

54.The Chhau dance of Purulia district is a sophisticated dance by male dancer with masks

Dance :Chhau

55.The film industry is a well-established modern form of promoting culture and tradition and of popular entertainment. Bengali films have earned national and international awards for their delicate handling of Indian themes; the works of the director Satyajit Ray, who won an OSCAR for his film “PATHER PANCHALI” is shining example. Tapan Sinha, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Soumitra Chatterjee, and Aparna Sen are particularly notable.

Folk Dances of Sikkim

56.Folk dances and songs are an ingrained part of Sikkimese culture. Most of the dances relate to the beauty of the natural surroundings, some depict the harvest season and others are performed for good luck and prosperity. Many of the musical instruments that accompany the dances are unique to Sikkim.

Dance : Sikkimese

Nepali Folk Dance:   Maruni

57.It is one of the oldest and most popular dances of the Nepales. Although this dance is associated with the festival of Tihar (Tyohar) or Diwali meaning "Festival of Light", because of its popularity it is performed even on occasions like marriages.

Dance : Maruni

Nepali Folk Dance: Tamang Selo

58.Tamangs are a Nepali community and the "Tamang Selo" dance is performed to the rhythmic sound of the "Damphoo" musical instrument which the dancers carry in their hands. This dance is therefore also called the " ". It is performed on occasions like marriage ceremony, childbirth and village fairs.

Dance : Damphoo

Tibetan   Dance: Yak Chaam

59.This dance is performed to honour the yak, an animal on which man is completely dependent upon for survival at high altitudes. This dance depicts the yak and projects the simple life style of the herdsman in the mountains.

Dance : Yak Dance

Food Habits

60.Fish and rice are the main dishes of Bengalis popularly known as “mach bath”. Bengalis are very fond of sweets, the famous being “Bengali rossogullas’”. On festivities and occasions the Bengalis prepare traditional dishes like Bhanpa-illish and Bhetki panturi. The Sikkimese besides having daal bath , in normal staple diet, they are very fond of soup, shyafalley .

DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST BENGAL

Industrial

61.As against the present growth rate of index of industrial production of 2.3% at the national level, the index of industrial production in West Bengal has been much higher at 4.6%.

Infrastructure

Power :-Installed Capacity: 6877 MW (Including DVC & NTPC)

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62.From a power deficit state in the early 1980s, is now is a power surplus state. It supplies power to its neighbouring states. The state is implementing a major transmission system with Japanese financing to improve quality of transmission .

Infrastructure and Housing

63.High skyscrapers with modern amenities are the talk of the day. Good road communication with a number of fly overs to facilitate smooth flow of traffic have come up.

Permanent Trade Fair Complex

64.Permanent trade fair complexes on the lines of Pragati Maidan in Delhi have also come up in Kolkata.

Manikanchan

65.Gem and jewellery park is the first of its kind in India.

Agri-Business and Retail Initiative

66.WBIDC is also moving in a new direction-promotion of facilities in Kolkata for retail and services in agri-business. Areas like food processing and fruit processing are getting a tremendous boost

Salt Lake Electronics Complex

67.The 150 acre Electronic Complex in Salt Lake is a green pollution free zone. More than 13000 IT professionals work in this complex that includes the "walk-in-wired" infrastructure of Kolkata Software Technology Parks.

Kolkata Leather Complex

68.The 44 hectare Kolkata Leather Complex has started at Kolkata. This complex has a common Effluent Treatment Plant to ensure conformation to pollution control specifications,

Private Healthcare Facilities

69.Foreign health Multinational Companies are pouring day by day in to West Bengal .It is a multi crore business besides providing facilities to people of west Bengal

Retail Boom

70.Kolkata is full of multiplexes and shopping malls which are the new attractions for the youth today

Recreational Facilities

71.The city has numerous prominent amusement parks like ‘Clown Town’, ‘Millennium Park’, ‘Nalban Boating Complex’, ‘Nicco Park’, ‘Science City’, ‘Aquatica’, ‘Swabhumi’, and a number of multiplex named ‘Inox’.

DEVELOPMENTS IN SIKKIM

72.The latest high-tech industry in Sikkim are hand made paper industry, floriculture, horticulture and food processing. Tourism is also a gift of God to Sikkim.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

73.The self-sustaining vibrancy of the state has ensured a stream of productive work. A shining star in the field of science and technology is Shri Jagdish Chandra Bose the Bose Einstein theory won world wide acclaim and is still regarded as the milestone for studies in Astrophysics and Nuclear science. Other outstanding scientists include Meghnad Saha, Shri Satyendra Nath Bose, Acharyo Prafulla Chandra Roy and UN Brahmachari. Kolkata still has the largest number of scientific and technology institution in the country and tradition continues to produce individual scientists of outstanding caliber.

EMINENT PERSONALITIES

ARMED FORCES

74.West Benagal has produced exemplary heroes in the armed forces . Col Suresh Chandra Biswas was the first Indian high ranking officer in a foreign army , Brazil. Airmarshal Subroto

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Mukherjee was the first Indian Air Chief. Our Ex army chief gen Shankar Roy Chowdhury is also from Bengal . We also take pride to mention about the Kargil hero Capt Kanad Bhattacharya who was awarded Vir Chakra (Posthumously) on 15 Aug 99 in Operation ‘VIJAY”.

Enacting : Heroes of Armed Forces

SPORTS

75.We are not lacking behind in the field of sports either. The royal Bengal tiger Sourav Ganguly, tennis star Leander pais , Mahesh Bhupathy , the young and energetic Foot ball player Bhaichang Bhutia from Sikkim and many more like Jyotirmay Sikdar, Mihir Sen nd many more have excelled in their respective fields.

Enacting : Sourab Ganguly and Bhaichang Bhutia

NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS

76.West Bengal I s the only place in the world which has got uniwque status in the worldfor producing four noble prize winners, Rabindra nath tagore, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Amartya Sen and Mother Teressa .

BEAUTY QUEEN

77.Bengalese poise, beauty and brains are world famous.Ms Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe is the finest example of this. Sharmila Tagore ,Suchitra Sen, Rani Mukherjee and Moushmi Chatterjee are some of the few other beauties of the land.

Enacting Beauty Queens

PLACES OF INTEREST

78.Our efforts to project the image of West Bengal to the audience present here will be incomplete if we did not give glimpse of this unique land which is a manifestation of unity and diversity. Some of the focal points of the states are:-

Kolkata

79.It is a unique and romantic city. The majestic Victoria Memorial Hall Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Indian Museum, Jain Temple, Nakhoda maszid, Birla Planetarium, Chaurangi, Metro rail Howrah Bridge and New Vidyasagar Setu over river Hooghly allures one and all.

Sunderban

80.This region get its name from the Sundari trees, once found in abundance here. Sunder bans in the south of Bengal is the above of World most luxuriant and mangrove forests. It is largest estuarine Delta in the world and is Den of Royal Bengal Tigers.

Darjeeling

81.Darjeeling perches among the clouds at 7000 feet above the sea level. This old Gurkha station which enchanted the two British Officers-Llyod and Grant in 1829 is at a town of bustling beehive of colour, culture, beauty and gaiety. The beauty of sun rise over Himalayas is synonymous with Tiger Hill

FESTIVALS

Buddhist Festivals

82.Saka Dawa: This is the Triple Blessed Festival and is considered as the holiest of the holy Buddhist Festivals. On this day Lord Buddha took birth, achieved Enlightenment and passed away attaining Nirvana, three important events celebrated in the festival of Saga Dawa.

Depicting Buddhist Festival

83.Losar: The Tibetan New Year is shared also by the Sikkimese and marked with lot of gaiety and festivity. It falls normally in the month of February. The Tibetan youth take to the streets on the day performing the Yak dance and throwing sampa as a way of greeting and welcoming the new year

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Festivals in Bengal

84.The other festivals are Lhabab Dhuechen and Losoong:. The most important of festival in West Bengal is Durga Puja, held in autumn. . Preparations start long before the festival. The group images are built up, stage by stage out of bamboo and straw framework and layers of clay and finally tempera and rich clothes and costume jewellery. Durga pooja festival is concerned with different other activities other than morning session, worship of the goddess. It includes family get together, partying at night in the fairs , charity shows, different folk dances are conducted, specially called “Dhunuchi dance”. This pooja festival culminates into the immersion of the idol of goddess Durga into Hoogly river.

85.The festive season continues till Kalipuja which takes place about three weeks after.. She is the Goddess of primeval power, a tantric concept at variance with that of Durga whom Bengalis worship as the Benevolent Mother.

Depiction of Durga Pooja

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