West Bengal's newly appointed Public Education and Library Minister Gouri Shankar Ghosh on Thursday, 11 June announced that books authored by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be removed from state-run government libraries, calling them non-serious and educationally valueless. The move signals a sharp cultural and ideological reset in Bengal's public library system following the change of government in the state.

What the Minister Said

Addressing reporters, Ghosh specifically named Banerjee's book Epang-Opang-Jhpang as an example of content that 'will not help students gain knowledge' and would therefore be removed. 'There will be no unnecessary books written by Mamata Banerjee like Epang-Opang-Jhpang in the library,' he said. 'Books written by the former Chief Minister that will not help students gain knowledge will be removed from the library.'

The minister added that libraries would be 'modernised' to stock works on nationalism, statehood, modern science, and celebrated Bengali scholars. He also announced plans to establish an e-library leveraging digital technology.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Forgotten Icons

Ghosh emphasised that the contributions of Syama Prasad Mookerjee — the BJP's ideological forefather and founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh — had been deliberately marginalised under the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. 'There has been an attempt to make Syama Prasad Mookerjee forget. His contribution cannot be forgotten. Therefore, his books and books on him will be kept,' he said.

The minister also alleged that the legacies of Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had similarly been sidelined. 'In fact, the previous government was running with a dictatorial mentality. Its own laws were applicable,' Ghosh said.

Broader BJP Push on Education and History

The library overhaul fits into a wider Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agenda on education reform in Bengal. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya had recently alleged that school textbooks were teaching 'distorted history', omitting what he described as India's glorious past. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior party leaders have, on multiple occasions, spoken about correcting what they term historical distortions in the national curriculum.

The BJP believes fundamental changes are necessary across Bengal's education policy, school curriculum, and the overall quality of the education system — a position the party has publicly reiterated since assuming power in the state.

What Comes Next

Specific timelines for the removal of books and the stocking of replacement titles have not yet been announced. The proposed e-library initiative also awaits a formal rollout plan. Critics are likely to contest the removals as politically motivated, and the move is expected to draw a sharp response from the TMC and civil society groups in the state. How the government handles pushback — particularly over the removal of a sitting former chief minister's works — will be closely watched.