KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday emphasized that all languages are equally valuable and must be protected from any kind of attack. She also extended greetings to people on International Mother Language Day.
Paying tribute to those who lost their lives during various mother language movements, the CM said her government honors linguistic diversity and has granted official recognition to several languages, including Santhali, Kurukh, Kurmali, Nepali, Urdu, Rajbansi, Kamtapuri, Punjabi, and Telugu.
She added that Bengali is not only a language with a rich literary heritage but also part of a broader commitment to respecting all linguistic communities. “We have also ensured that every person, regardless of the language they speak, has the opportunity to study in their mother tongue in the state,” she wrote in a post on X.
Mamata noted that the state government has established language academies for several linguistic groups. “We not only respect the languages of Rabindranath, Nazrul, Sukanta, and Jibanananda but also all other languages. On this sacred day, we reaffirm our pledge that if any language comes under attack, we will stand united against it. All languages deserve equal respect,” she said.
Political observers believe that Mamata’s message on International Mother Language Day is particularly significant against the backdrop of reports that Bengali-speaking people—mainly migrant workers from West Bengal—are allegedly being attacked outside the state on suspicions of being Bangladeshi nationals or accused of disrespecting the great sons of Bengal.
Earlier, Mamata criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the word “Swami” as a prefix in a social media post on Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's birth anniversary, alleging that the PM showed “cultural insensitivity to great figures” of the state.
A few months ago, the Prime Minister faced criticism from the Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties after he referred to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, author of the national song, as “Bankim da” during a speech on Vande Mataram in Parliament on December 8 last year.
Mamata highlighted that the PM used the prefix “Swami” when Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is widely known as “Thakur.” She wrote on X: “Shocked again! Yet again, our Prime Minister displays cultural insensitivity toward great figures of Bengal. Today is the janmotsav of Yugavatara (God’s incarnation in our age) Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva. While trying to honor the great saint, our PM added an unprecedented and improper prefix to his name, ‘Swami’!”