Telangana Governor celebrates West Bengal State Foundation Day at Raj Bhavan

Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Friday hosted West Bengal State Foundation Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan, with a strong turnout from the city’s Bengali community and cultural groups.

The evening leaned into tradition classical melodies, folk beats, dancers in flowing saris offering a textured glimpse of Bengal’s cultural soul. Local performers brought it home, some with gentle, intricate pieces, others with bursts of rhythm that drew cheers. It wasn’t just a show; it felt lived-in, like Bengal had set up camp in Hyderabad for the night.

When Governor Varma stepped up, he spoke less like a host and more like a witness to history. He sketched out Bengal’s influence on India’s cultural and intellectual arc, dropping the time-worn line: “What Bengal thinks today, the nation thinks tomorrow.” But it landed less as a cliché, more as a reminder. He also spoke of the quiet, longstanding ties between Bengal and Telangana suggesting the event wasn’t just ceremonial, but a living example of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat playing out on the ground.

The legal world got a nod too. Justice Sujoy Paul, currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, touched on the contributions of Bengali jurists, mentioning Justice Ashutosh Mukherjee by name. Justice Moushumi Bhattacharjee, along with top state officials like Sabyasachi Ghosh and M Dana Kishore, also spoke briefly.

The audience was a mix dignitaries, Raj Bhavan staff, and plenty of community members, many draped in traditional Bengali wear. It wasn’t just a ceremony. It felt like a homecoming.