Kolkata, February 22 – A day after International Mother Language Day was celebrated with much fanfare in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that she was deeply saddened that divisive forces were attempting to malign and target those who speak Bangla, labeling them as “illegal infiltrators,” subjecting them to humiliation and persecution.
At the same time, the Chief Minister claimed that she would continue her relentless struggle and movement against any attempt to undermine “Bengal’s culture, heritage, or identity” by intolerance or narrow-minded politics.
Although the Chief Minister did not directly target anyone, her clear indication was towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), considering that the ruling party in the country has been particularly vocal on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in West Bengal and their alleged inclusion in the state’s voter list over the years.
“It pains me deeply that divisive forces are attempting to malign and target those who speak Bangla, labeling them as “illegal infiltrators,” subjecting them to humiliation and persecution. Such actions strike at the very heart of constitutional values. We shall never allow Bengal’s culture, heritage, or identity to be undermined by intolerance or narrow-minded politics,” the Chief Minister said in a statement that she posted on X in the morning.
According to her, since West Bengal, as well as India, has been the land of diverse languages and cultures, there should be equal love for “Bangla” as a language, just like the other languages spoken throughout the country.
“Bengal and India, islands of many languages and cultures. As we love Bangla with devotion, we equally respect Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Kurukh, Kurmali, Rajbanshi, Santali, Kamtapuri, Sadri, and every other language spoken across our soil. Each language carries within it the history, memory, and aspirations of its people. This unity in diversity is our greatest strength,” the Chief Minister observed.
Hence, the Chief Minister added, it pained her deeply that divisive forces were attempting to malign and target Bengali-speaking people by labeling them as illegal, Infiltrators and thus subjecting them to humiliation and persecution.
“Such actions strike at the very heart of constitutional values. We shall never allow Bengal’s culture, heritage, or identity to be undermined by intolerance or narrow-minded politics,” the Chief Minister added.