Chief Minister as Lyricist... Minister as Singer

Among common people, there’s always an impression that politicians are busy trading allegations, hurling abuses, and making meaningless speeches. That impression isn’t entirely wrong, because most politicians do behave that way. But within some leaders, there exist hidden talents — sometimes in arts, sometimes in sports.

We’ve also seen several artists and sportspersons enter politics and rise to positions of power. Their talents don’t need a special introduction. Among political leaders, some earn the image of a firebrand — speaking boldly, challenging opponents head-on, and taking on anything that comes their way. In that category, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stands out. Everyone knows about her simple appearance and lifestyle.

She takes on PM Modi fiercely, never minces words, and doesn’t care what others think. But beyond this, Mamata Banerjee has another talent — songwriting. She writes lyrics for songs. In Bengal, the festival of Durga Puja, celebrated grandly during Dussehra, holds immense cultural significance. Mamata, who has a special fondness for Dussehra, often turns into a lyricist during this time, penning devotional songs for the Goddess.

With Dussehra approaching, Kolkata is already buzzing with festivities. Like every year, Mamata has written a new song this season too. At the centenary celebrations of the Tala Prattoy Durga Puja Committee in Kolkata, she penned a special song titled “Beej Angan” (Seeds in the Courtyard). Interestingly, the song was not sung by a film playback singer but by the state’s Tourism Minister, Indranil Sen. Seeds such as sesame, which are offered as naivedyam during Durga Puja, hold deep cultural and spiritual significance.

The fact that the Chief Minister herself wrote a song to inspire a festival recognized as part of Bengal’s heritage, and that a Minister lent his voice to it, is being spoken of as something remarkable. The music video of the song was also released by the Minister.

This isn’t the first time Mamata has written songs for Durga Puja. Back in 2018, she composed several special songs and released an entire album. Not just one or two — she wrote as many as seven songs for Durga Puja celebrations. Renowned singers like Indranil, Lopamudra, and Rupankar lent their voices to her lyrics. Mamata even shared the links of her songs on Twitter, mentioning that all the tracks in her album “Raudracharya” were written by her.