New Delhi: Mother Teresa’s canonization ceremony, to be held at Vatican City on September 4, will see a lot of Indian political heavyweights coming together.

Among them are two top women politicians — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be another India attending the ceremony.

Sources in Banerjee’s office confirmed that a delegation led by Sister Prema, the superior-general of the Missionaries of Charity, has already left for the Vatican, and Mamata will join them on September 1.

Top sources in the MEA have confirmed that Swaraj will also be present at the ceremony and Mamata is scheduled to have an informal meeting with Swaraj post the event. Sources in MEA confirmed that Swaraj will reach at the Vatican on September 3 and return two days later.

TMC MP Sudip Banerjee confirmed that Mamata will be accompanied by other TMC leaders on her way to the airport, but only party spokesperson Derek O’ Brien may accompany Mamata to the Vatican.

Political analysts feel that Swaraj and Mamata meeting at the Vatican will be important in the backdrop of Mamata wanting a Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress-free India). According to them, Mamata is trying to make an Opposition free Bengal by poaching workers from the Opposition parties.

But, on the other hand, Mamata has been constantly criticizing New Delhi claiming that it is disturbing the federal structure of the state.

Professor Amal Mukherjee, former principal of Presidency University and a political analyst, said, “The meeting with Swaraj will be significant at a time when Modi wants to have a Congress Mukt Bharat and this way, she can she tacitly gain support from the BJP despite criticizing the Centre publicly.”

While the canonization ceremony takes place in Rome, Kolkata – Mother Teresa’s hometown for more than 60 years – is going to mark it with its own celebrations.

Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta said a life-sized bronze statue of Mother Teresa will be installed at the Bishop House next to the statue of Pope John Paul II.

The prelate added that the statue, donated by Namit Bajoria, the Designate Honorary Consul of Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata, will be installed on August 25, a day before Mother Teresa’s birthday.

On the same day, a ‘Teresa Walk’ is planned from Entally, in central Kolkata, to the Missionaries of Charity office on AJC Bose Road.

Some events celebrating the canonization also includes book releases, talks, symposiums, film festivals and an art exhibition, began on Sunday, with a program at Shanti Dan (gift of peace), Mother Teresa’s homeless shelter. The celebrations will continue in the city till November.

On October 2, a ‘Thanksgiving Holy Eucharist’ followed by a civic program at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata will conclude the celebrations. Vice President Hamid Ansari is among the luminaries expected at the program.

The West Bengal government also plans a ‘Homage to St. Teresa of Calcutta.’

Among the books to be released is Mother Teresa – A Life, written by the late Sudeb Roy Chowdhury, who was a well-known journalist. It will be released by two different international publishers in French and English.

Another book by a Kolkata-based entrepreneur is expected to be released in Rome by Mamata.

One of the highlights of the celebrations will be the Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF), beginning on August 26. The MTIFF will continue until August 29 and will be held at Nandan.

The film festival will feature 23 foreign and Indian films made on, or inspired by, the Nobel laureate.

Besides these films, seven Indian films, documentaries and short films from the US, France, UK, Spain, Italy, Canada and Japan will be screened including a one by Gautam Lewis, a 39-year-old filmmaker.

As a polio affected child, Lewis was rescued by Mother Teresa and later adopted by a British couple. The filmmaker will be in the city to attend the festival as well.

Besides Kolkata, Mother Teresa’s birth place Macedonia will also mark her canonization with a series of celebratory events.

Born to Albanian parents in Macedonia in 1910, Mother Teresa came to India in 1929. She set up the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and dedicated her entire life to the service of the poor and the destitute living in slums and on the streets of Kolkata. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979. She died on 5 September, 1997.

Mother Teresa was beatified in 2003, by the late Pope John Paul after a miracle where she cured a woman hailing from Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal with a tumor in her stomach.

This miracle was approved by the Vatican and she became ‘Blessed Teresa of Calcutta’ – one miracle away from being declared a Saint.

(Source: Catch News)