West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday announced that his government will observe August 16 as ‘Ayushman Divas’, replacing his predecessor Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Khela Hobey Divas’, in a symbolic shift that also coincides with the BJP government’s completion of 100 days in office.
The announcement was made after a BJP special organisational meeting in Purba Medinipur district.
Adhikari said the state government would unveil the details of the ‘Ayushman Divas’ programme on August 16, when it also plans to roll out the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the state.
Explaining the decision, Adhikari said August 16 holds historical significance as the anniversary of the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings.
“August 16 is a black day in Kolkata’s history since the ‘Great Calcutta killings’ were orchestrated under the leadership of Suhrawardy from this date. The previous TMC government observed it as ‘Khela Hobey Divas’. Our government has decided that the day will be observed as Ayushman Divas. The details of our programme will soon follow,” he told reporters.
He was referring to Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946, when the All India Muslim League called for nationwide protests to press its demand for Pakistan.
The mobilisation spiralled into one of the deadliest episodes of communal violence in British India, with Muslim and Hindu mobs clashing across Kolkata for several days.
An estimated 4,000 people were killed, more than 10,000 injured and tens of thousands displaced. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, then Chief Minister of undivided Bengal, faced criticism over the handling of the violence.
The TMC government had declared August 16 as ‘Khela Hobey Divas’ in 2021 following the party’s Assembly election victory.
The annual observance featured football tournaments and the distribution of sports kits to encourage youth participation in sports.
Over time, however, the slogan also became closely associated with West Bengal’s often political clashes.
Adhikari said the new observance would also mark the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state.
“Citizens who have crossed the age of 70 are automatically entitled to get the benefits of the scheme. And the remaining, who are eligible to receive the benefits of the scheme, will also be included in it. That will cover about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries. The remaining 30 per cent will be brought under the CM Health Insurance scheme, both of which will be introduced together,” he said.
Responding to allegations that some women had not received benefits under the Annapurna Yojna, which replaced the TMC’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, Adhikari said only eligible beneficiaries would receive assistance under the Centre-backed programme.
“Money under Annapurna scheme has been transferred to over 1.2 crore women, which translates to an average 35,000 to 40,000 beneficiaries in each constituency. The verification process will continue till August 30 and all those who are found eligible will be included and those who are non-deserving will be dropped,” he said.
