Demand for Bengali as Second language in Jharkhand

By IANS

Ranchi : Jharkhand’s Bengali people Tuesday held demonstrations here demanding the second-language status for their mother tongue after the state government accorded that position to Urdu.


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Around 500 members of various associations of the Bengali community from different parts of the state demonstrated at the Albert Ekka roundabout here under banner of Jharkhand Bengali Association (JBA).

Their demands also include renaming the Gomo railway station after Netaji Subhas Chandra, setting up of a Bangla academy and opening up of a cultural centre.

“Bengali is not only a national language, it is also an international language. It is the official language in Bangladesh, but in our country this language is not given its proper place,” said Shubhash Moitra, a member of JBA.

Jharkhand Bangbhasi Samiti member Mrigendra Biswas said: “The Madhu Koda government is playing vote bank politics. Bengali comes on second position in Jharkhand after Hindi (in terms of number of speakers), but Urdu was accorded the second-language status. We will teach a lesson to the people in power in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections.”

Various tribal organisations too have demanded the same status for their mother tongues, including Santhali, Kurukh and Khortha.

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