Why Mamata cited bizarre 'alphabetical order' to rename West Bengal as Bangla

Mamata Banerjee is yet again pushing for West Bengal to be renamed Bangla. Banerjee on Thursday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the central government for not paying heed to the long-standing demand for renaming West Bengal to ‘Bangla.’ She also asked him to order the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to make Bengali accepted as a ‘classical language’ at the earliest. But what reasons did Mamata give for renaming the state? And why did she cite ‘alphabetical order?’ Let’s take a closer look: Mamata, speaking at a press conference, said, “We had passed it (proposal of changing the state’s name to Bangla) twice in the Assembly and clarified all their confusions. But yet we were not given the name. If Bombay can be Mumbai, Orissa can be Odisha, why are we not allowed the new name? Bengal’s importance is being reduced.” She added that officials from her state have to wait until the end of meetings with representatives of other states to speak as the roll call goes alphabetically. Mamata also claimed it would help children from her state when they go for competitions, as per News18. “If our state’s name is changed to Bangla, our children who participate in various competitions and go for studies will get priority. In every meeting, we are forced to wait till the end. W, X, Y, Z. The importance of Bangla has been reduced,” Mamata said.

She added that the word ‘West’ was unneeded when it comes to Bengal.

“We don’t think there is no need to divide when the name of the state is Bangla. Pakistan has a province named Punjab. India too has a state named Punjab. If Bangladesh can stay Bangladesh internationally, why can’t West Bengal be changed to Bangla,” she added. Banerjee in September 2023 had taken aim at the Centre over the issue. She said the “the renaming would take place” when the BJP is ousted from power. “We wanted our state to be named Bangla instead of West Bengal. When there can be two Punjabs, why not two Bangla? Today, you are in power; you didn’t do it. But when you are overthrown, we will rename the state,” she said. A piece in The Print noted that the first name change was proposed by the erstwhile Left Front government in 1999. “But opinions were divided on whether it should be named ‘Paschim Bangla’, or ‘Bangla’. The state government’s demand was never followed up with any seriousness,” the piece noted. As per News18, the TMC government in 2011 asked the Centre to change West Benga’s name to ‘Paschim Banga’ or ‘Paschim Bango.’ However, the Centre rejected this proposition. But the TMC didn’t give up. It continued to push for the name change and even passed resolutions proposing the name be changed to “Bongo” and “Bangla.” The Print piece noted the flaw in Mamata’s argument is obvious as the two states just above West Bengal, Uttarakhand and UP, have never brought up the issue. Congress leader Professor Om Prakash Mishra told Outlook, “This is an exercise in relative futility. The argument that because the name comes at the bottom of the list so the funds get distributed defies logic because there are allocations for particular states. However since the house has passed the proposal, having debated the issue, it cannot be negated.” Mamata pushes for Gangasagar Mela as national fair The chief minister has also asked Modi to designate the Gangasagar Mela a national fair. The state has reportedly spent Rs 250 crore on the fair this year and anticipates more than 10 million people to attend. “We have sent letters about Gangasagar Mela earlier and we are sending a letter today as well. We have spent 250 crores this time as well. We are happy that Kumbha Mela has got ’national fair’ acknowledgement. Kumbha Mela is not held every year, but Ganga Sagar is held every year,” Mamata was quoted as saying by NDTV.

She compared the Gangasagar Mela to the Kumbh Mela.

“Ganga Sagar is located at an island in Sundarban. Every year more than one crore people have to cross the waters to reach Ganga Sagar. How are we behind?…If they can get this achnowlegement, why will Bangla be deprived of having Ganga Sagar Mela acknowledged as a national fair?” “Last year around 80 lakh people came for the Mela. This year, as there is no Kumbha Mela this time, more than one crore people might be coming,” she said. “The Gangasagar Mela is celebrated every year on Makar Sankranti while a Mela of this magnitude such as Kumbh Mela is held at one location every 12 years and otherwise every four years… The Gangsagar Mela has served as à milestone of faith to followers of Hinduism. The event has deep mythological and astrological significances, with the Mela itself together with Kapil Muni and the Sagar Island having been mentioned in the ancient Indian epics such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsham,” Banerjee wrote as per Indian Express. “Hence, considering the uniqueness, significance, magnitude and spiritual depth associated with the Gangasagar Mela, I would earnestly appeal to you to kindly consider to declare Gangasagar Mela a National Fair and to kindly take some time out of your busy schedule to make a visit to Gangasagar Mela,” she added. Mamata previously demanded the designation for the Gangasagar Mela in 2021, as per NDTV. ‘Classify Bengali as classical language’ Mamata in her letter said Bengali is the second most spoken language in India and the 7th most spoken language in the world. She wrote there are already six officially recognised classical languages — Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. Banerjee attached the summary of a scholarly work undertaken by the state government, which dated the origin of the Bengali language to the 3rd or 4th Century BCE. This “will very briefly state the substance of our contention and submit how Bengali eminently qualifies to be classified as a Classical Language by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” she wrote to the Prime Minister. “I take this opportunity to present before you a summary of a scholarly work undertaken by us in four volumes, which dates the origin of ‘Bangla/Bengali language to the 3rd-4th BCE. In sum, the research shows that our language is a classical language with roots in antiquity, and we seek its recognition as such,” she wrote as per Indian Express. Apart from being the national language of Bangladesh, Bengali is an official language of West Bengal, she said adding that it is the second most spoken language in India as well as the 7th most spoken language in the world.

Bengalis have a rich heritage and culture dating back to prehistoric times, she said.

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The chief minister also referred to the language’s rich historical evolution encompassing “both oral and written traditions”. She also cited the “evidence - from archaeological findings, inscriptions, references in ancient Sanskrit and Pali texts, and a substantial body of pre-seventh-century Bengali literature underpins its classical heritage”. “I would be grateful if you kindly issue necessary instructions to the MHA so that the claim of Bengali language as a classical language is accepted at the earliest,” she concluded. Later speaking to reporters, Banerjee, blamed the the erstwhile Left Front government, without naming it, for not taking up the matter of the ‘Bengali’ language with the Centre. We should have got it long back, but it’s because of our idiocy, we did not get it. Because those who were here (in power in Bengal) before us never thought in this manner. They were more interested in doing politics," she said. Banerjee said that she was also sending four volumes of the research works to the MHA. “We have constituted teams of officials and scholars to carry out this research. Bengali could have got the classical status long back. It has a history of 2,500 years. Once granted the status, it will make Bengali one of the world’s most important languages,” she stressed. With inputs from agencies