Selfie with Howrah Child: CM Stresses Education Over Phones

Howrah, October 24: On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari advised a young child to limit his use of mobile phones and give priority to studies. The Chief Minister also posed for a selfie with the child after the boy expressed his wish.

The moment happened around 8 pm on Saturday night in Kamini School Lane, Salkia, in north Howrah.

He had come to meet the family of Bikash Bhattacharya, who died in the Chorbagan incident. Offering condolences to the grieving household, the Chief Minister announced financial support and assured the family that one of its members would be given a job.

The family expressed relief at the assurance and thanked him for standing by them.

As the Chief Minister left the house and walked toward his bike, a local boy named Rajdeep Pal came up to him and said he wanted a selfie.

Recognising the child's eagerness, the Chief Minister agreed to the request. While taking the photograph, he also urged Rajdeep to pay more attention to his studies instead of relying heavily on his mobile phone.

The short conversation between the two drew the notice of people gathered nearby. Amid wider discussions about children's mobile phone use, the advice was seen as a message on the importance of education and responsible use of technology.

The Chief Minister had taken a bike from the main road to reach the house because the lane was narrow and not accessible for large vehicles. State Minister Umesh Roy was also on a bike with him.

The visit became newsworthy both for the assurance given to the bereaved family and for the affectionate encounter with the child. Those present applauded his encouragement of the boy and his focus on education.