Kolkata, Nov 1 West Bengal Governor R N Ravi on Sunday stressed the importance of preserving India’s civilisational unity, saying the country’s diverse languages, customs and traditions were different expressions of a shared heritage.
Addressing a gathering at the Lok Bhavan during the Foundation Day celebrations of various states and Union Territories, Ravi said India had remained united through centuries despite changes in political boundaries, rulers and kingdoms.
“While rulers and kingdoms changed over centuries, Bharat remained united by an enduring civilisational consciousness. People travelled, settled and lived across regions as members of one family, transcending linguistic and regional identities,” he said.
More than 1,200 people attended the programme, organised in the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ at Shanti Van Lawn. The governor felicitated 32 personalities from different states and Union Territories who have settled in West Bengal and made contributions to education, industry, science, medicine, arts, culture and social service.
Former Union Minister Sisir Adhikari, father of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was among those present. Ravi greeted him during the celebrations.
The governor said India’s unity was rooted in a way of life that regarded the individual, society and creation as one family. He cited the Char Dham, Jyotirlingas and Shakti Peethas, as well as the pilgrimage traditions connecting Kashi and Rameswaram, as examples of the country’s longstanding cultural and spiritual links.
Referring to the 1905 Partition of Bengal, Ravi said people across the country had opposed the British decision, eventually forcing its reversal.
He also recalled how Sri Aurobindo’s writings in ‘Vande Mataram’ reached southern India and were translated into regional languages, inspiring people to protest against the partition.
Ravi expressed concern that states, created after Independence for better administration and governance, had increasingly become the basis of regional and linguistic identities, sometimes weakening the larger sense of national belonging.
Highlighting India’s economic and technological progress, he cited a World Bank report which, he said, showed that extreme poverty had declined from over 27 per cent in 2012-13 to 2.6 per cent.
He also referred to India’s progress in patent filings and knowledge creation, saying the country had moved from the 76th position in 2015 to sixth in 2025, according to figures from the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
India, which had fewer than 500 start-ups in 2014-15, now had more than 2.5 lakh registered start-ups, he said, adding that defence exports had reached around Rs 40,000 crore.
The governor also highlighted the role of Mudra loans in helping women and aspiring entrepreneurs establish businesses, improve family incomes and provide better opportunities for their children.
He said the country’s transformation was not merely the result of government initiatives or public sector undertakings, but was being driven by the confidence, enterprise and collective strength of its people.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to celebrate the Foundation Days of different states across the country, Ravi said the celebrations reflected the idea of India as one national family.
“Just as every joyous occasion in a family belongs to all its members, Bharat celebrates the Foundation Day of each state as one national family,” he said.
Representatives from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir shared their experiences of living and working in West Bengal, and spoke about how their communities had been welcomed in the state.
The programme also featured cultural performances by artists representing different states and Union Territories. The governor felicitated the participating artists and cultural teams.
(PTI News)
