Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has the conviction to take all communities along, says Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta.
“Mamata Didi (elder sister) has always supported us and she does it for all communities. She is the one who expresses courage and speaks at critical moments. Her efforts to work for objectivity and idea of inclusiveness have always been appreciated,” the archbishop told Economic Times on July 29 in an exclusive interaction.
Following the cancellation of the program at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi where Banerjee was scheduled to address students on August 1, the archbishop said, “Even though, I do not know what happened in St. Stephen’s College and why the program was called off, I can say that Mamata Banerjee is the leader of national stature who has the conviction to take all together along with her.”
Banerjee has supported the Missionaries of Charity after the organization’s name got embroiled in an alleged child trafficking case in Jharkhand. She was the first politician who supported the organization and accused the BJP of making “malicious attempts to malign the name of Missionaries of Charity,” after two staff members of its shelter home Nirmal Hriday (Immaculate Heart), in Ranchi, were arrested allegedly for selling babies.
“She supported us at critical moments. She is the one who stood with Missionaries of Charity when the organization was passing through a tough time. In the country, I suppose there are two sides, projecting one force against another. But Mamata didi is the one who takes the side of truth with objectivity,” Archbishop D’Souza added.
Asked about the situation in the country, the prelate said: “We are seeing incidents of lynching and intimidation are taking place. I do not want to take names of any political party or comment on any individual. I would only like to say that the rule of law and the Constitution of the country should be upheld. Any attempt to polarize and divide people should be discouraged and condemned. Anything that takes away somebody’s freedom to live life should never be allowed to continue with.”
“About Bengal, I can say, it has always been a state where communal harmony prevailed. People of all communities lived here peacefully. Now there are reports of forces trying to disturb that balance, but these forces should be discouraged,” he added.
Asked to comment on the prime minister face in the general election, he said, “It depends on individual’s choices and I cannot comment on that. But Mamata Banerjee is a leader of national stature who is tolerant and inclusive by nature.”
(economictimes.indiatimes.com)