“Another Bhasha Andolan is needed”: CM Mamata Banerjee on Bengali language row

Kolkata: Amid a controversy over the Bengali language, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for another Bhasha Andolan (language movement) and alleged that people are being harassed for speaking Bengali in many places. Addressing the ‘Maha Nayak Samman’ Awards on Thursday, CM Mamata Banerjee said, “Another Bhasha Andolan is needed to awaken everyone. People are being harassed for speaking Bengali in many places. Bengali is the fifth most spoken language in the world, and the second most spoken in Asia. Around 30 crore people speak Bengali, and today, Bengali speakers are being sent to jail.”

Calling for wider public engagement, she urged for programmes to be held across all levels to raise awareness. “I cannot accept this, and I believe you cannot either. People cannot be detained just for speaking Bengali. We cannot tolerate this. Programmes must be organised on this issue at all levels. This issue is not just mine; it belongs to everyone. Bengal is everything to us. We must protect this land,” she added. CM Banerjee hailed her mother tongue and said, “We all speak our mother tongue. Children speak ‘Maa’ for the first time in their mother tongue. However, a language war has been declared over the Bengali language.” Taking a dig at West Bengal’s film industry, Tollywood, Banerjee criticised the lack of Bengali content in music. “These days, where is Bengali in our songs? It is all just loud and flashy music. We already have Bollywood for that. South Indian films are also popular. But Tollywood should have more Bengali songs, not just music,” she said.

Clarifying her stance, Banerjee said she was not opposed to other languages, but stressed the importance of preserving Bengali. “I am not asking anyone to disrespect other languages. But that does not mean we lose our own. We should feel proud of our language. We are proud of all languages, but we cannot do anything by leaving Bengali aside. Let all languages grow in harmony and unity. We have to make Bengal’s culture more developed, enriched, widespread, and vibrant. Civilisation is the backbone of a nation,” the Chief Minister added. Meanwhile, the row over the Bengali language surfaced after Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress raised the issue during the ‘Shahid Dibas’ (Martyrs’ Day) celebrations on July 21. At the same award ceremony, Banerjee also paid tribute to legendary actor Uttam Kumar. “It has been 45 years, but we can never forget Uttam Kumar. He was so good at lip-syncing. We started this recognition in 2012. He is still very close to our hearts, and I still believe he is the nation’s pride, a symbol of our culture and character, the great Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. We remember him on his death anniversary. I truly regret never having met him,” she said. “I had met Suchitra Sen before her passing, even though she had not met anyone for 20 years. But she wanted to meet me, and I went immediately to see her. I also knew Supriya for a long time. I know Sharmila and Tanuja too. I met many of them at the KIFF, but I could never meet Uttam Kumar, and this absence keeps coming back to me again and again,” she added.