TMC's Khela Hobey Day to clash with BJP protest against Calcutta killings of 1946

Various Hindu religious groups mark August 16 as a black day in history of Kolkata

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS Even if the Trinamool Congress decided to skip the 'dinner politics' of the Congress by not attending a meeting organised by Sonia Gandhi, it is continuing with its anti-BJP politics in West Bengal. The proposed celebration of 'Khela Hobey Day' on August 16 will be held with much fanfare.

A delegation from a Hindu religious outfit, Sanatan Sanghshya, had recently visited the Raj Bhavan and requested the governor to intervene by asking the state government to change the date of celebration of Khela Hobey Day on August 16.

The governor told the delegation he would try his best to convince the chief minister to change the date of celebration.

The religious group's argument was that August 16 is a horrific day in the history of Kolkata as in 1946, the day was observed as Direct Action Day by the Muslim League in then undivided Bengal, to speed up the process of forming Pakistan. On that day, the Great Calcutta killings took place because of riots due to which around 10,000 people in the city died in a single day. Various Hindu religious groups mark the day as a black day in the history of Kolkata.

But the governor's intervention seems to have no impact as the Khela Hobey celebration is going to be a party affair, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would donate several thousands of footballs to various clubs. On the same day, the BJP would observe a black day against Direct Action Day on August 16 to mourn the Calcutta killings 75 years ago.

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, then prime minister of united Bengal province, is known as the architect of the riots as he himself supervised it sitting in the Calcutta police headquarters in Lalbazar on that day, according to government documents. Ironically, the memories of that day are being revised even today.