Kolkata: The West Bengal government has once again urged the Centre to include the Rajbanshi and Kurmali languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. In a separate communication, the state has also reminded the Union government of its long-pending recommendation seeking recognition of the Sari and Sarna religions practised by tribal communities.
Despite repeated requests over the past five years, no decision has been taken on these demands.
According to sources, Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty recently wrote two separate letters to the Union Home Secretary reiterating the state’s position and pressing for early action.
Members of the Kurmi community reside not only in West Bengal but also in Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, where Kurmali is widely spoken. However, West Bengal is the first state to formally recommend to the Centre that Kurmali be included in the Eighth Schedule. The renewed push has come ahead of International Mother Language Day, and Kurmi organisations in Jangalmahal, along with members of the Kurmi and Rajbanshi communities across the state, have described the move as significant.
At the same time, some Kurmi organisations have expressed scepticism on social media regarding the Centre’s response. Former state minister Santiram Mahato said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken multiple initiatives for the development of the Kurmi community since assuming office. “Recommending the inclusion of Kurmali and Rajbanshi in the Eighth Schedule is a major step. People from both communities have expressed happiness over this proposal,” he said. The state government had already declared Rajbanshi and Kurmali as official state languages in 2018.
The Kurmi population is spread across the four districts of Jangalmahal and other parts of south and north Bengal. The Rajbanshi community has a significant presence in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur and Darjeeling districts.
The state’s communications to the Centre underline that inclusion in the Eighth Schedule would provide constitutional recognition, facilitate preservation and promotion of the languages, and strengthen cultural identity.
The separate reminder on Sari and Sarna religions reiterates the demand for distinct recognition of tribal faith practices at the national level.