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Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters by Japan’s Okayama University for her contribution to women empowerment at a function here on Wednesday.
The ceremony was held at a government auditorium in the Alipore area of the city in the presence of dignitaries and state officials from Japan.
She said, “I would like to dedicate this honor to the people of Bengal, ‘Maa, Mati and Manush’. I sincerely thank the university authorities for coming to Bengal. I am truly overwhelmed. Japan is a global example of peace, harmony and culture. My best wishes to every student of Okayama University.”
Highlighting the long-standing cultural and educational ties between Japan and West Bengal, Banerjee said universities from the two regions are successfully collaborating.
He said, “This collaboration benefits both faculty and students. Our relationship with Japan goes back a long way. Japanese representatives have been participating in our Bengal Global Business Summit for the past seven years, and I hope they will continue to participate. We will definitely send a formal invitation to Okayama University to attend the next summit.”
Referring to historical ties, the Chief Minister recalled that Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Rash Behari Bose and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose all had deep associations with Japan.
“History cannot be forgotten. Even today, there is a unit of Okayama University in Tagore’s Santiniketan,” he said.
Banerjee said she was impressed by the spirit of the Japanese delegation.
“You are very positive and respectful. When I was told that the ceremony would be held in November, they said that if I could not go to Japan, they would come here. How could I refuse so warmly? Welcoming you is a matter of humanity, not politics. I am really impressed by your presence,” he said, adding that he hopes to visit Japan next year.
Referring to West Bengal’s industrial progress, the Chief Minister stressed on the state’s growing global involvement.
“Many international companies, including Mitsubishi, Tata and JICA, are investing here. In Silicon Valley, many have shown interest in our projects. Our relations with Japan are historic. Japan’s resilience after Hiroshima and Nagasaki is something the world should learn from,” he said.
The TMC supremo said that she wants to live a simple life by staying close to her roots.
“I don’t want to live like a VIP, but like a LIP, a low-key person,” she said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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