Kolkata, March 6 – President Droupadi Murmu will arrive in West Bengal on Friday afternoon for a two-day packed schedule in the northern sector of the state.
This will be her first visit to the state since she assumed the position of the Indian President. Almost the entire North Bengal has been under a tight security cover on the occasion of President Murmu's visit.
According to the tentative schedule, the President is expected to arrive at Bagdogra Airport, on the outskirts of the Siliguri town in the Darjeeling district, in the afternoon.
From there, she will proceed directly to the Governor's House, now known as Lok Bhavan, where she will inaugurate the Darjeeling Hill Festival, which celebrates the rich art, culture, and heritage of the hills and North Bengal.
A key highlight of the festival, an initiative of Lok Bhavan in collaboration with leading cultural institutions, will be "Roots and Rhythm," an exhibition featuring iconic artifacts from the historic Indian Museum.
In fact, before tendering his resignation from the position of Governor on Thursday evening, C.V. Ananda Bose had made a statement on Lok Bhavan's official social media handle about the program. He also stated that Darjeeling was all set to host a historical event.
The President will spend Friday night at Lok Bhavan and will then travel to Gossaipur in the same district on Saturday to attend the 9th International Santal Conference, organized by the International Santal Council.
Initially, the event was scheduled to be held in Bidhannagar. However, due to security concerns, the program was shifted to Gossaipur. From there, the President will virtually inaugurate the Bidhannagar event. A virtual tree plantation festival will be held.
The International Santal Council organizes a conference every year on how to maintain these communities, including the conservation of their culture, language, and economic development.
The last time this conference was held in Assam. This year, several experts from India and abroad will be participating in the conference.
