Mandatory Bengali in WB govt work: Kunal Ghosh flags practical issues

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh flagged practical challenges in the West Bengal government's plan to make Bengali mandatory for official work from 2026, questioning the impact on non-Bengali officers, police, and judges.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday raised critical administrative questions regarding the West Bengal government's decision to make the Bengali language mandatory for all official communications starting September 1. While acknowledging the importance of promoting the state's linguistic heritage, Ghosh highlighted the practical challenges the policy poses for the state's diverse administrative and judicial machinery. He pointed out that the decision could create operational bottlenecks for non-Bengali bureaucrats, police officers, and members of the judiciary who form a key part of West Bengal's governance system.

"There is already an established system for using Bengali within the government administration. There are many non-Bengali officers, so there should be a standardised process of communication...Merely issuing a notice does not make someone a part of Bengali culture...It is perfectly fine to encourage people to speak and read Bengali and in fact, it is necessary here, but we must also consider the presence of many non-Bengalis, including officers and judges. What happens in their case? Will court hearings and official orders be conducted only in Bengali? These are practical questions that need to be addressed" The remarks underscored the complex ground realities of implementing sweeping linguistic mandates across formal institutions, sparking a broader debate on balancing regional identity with administrative efficiency.

State Government Announces New Language Policy

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that Bengali will be made mandatory for all official work of the state government from September 1, 2026. Speaking in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said official correspondence with the Central government would be carried out in Bengali as well as Hindi. He stated, "From September 1, 2026, Bangla is mandatory in official use...we will exchange official letters with the govt of India and other states in Bengali as well as in Hindi."

Use in Police and Public Services

He further advocated for greater use of Bengali in governance, saying the language should be used extensively in police and other public services to strengthen trust and improve public participation. Adhikari said Bengali should be used in police and law-and-order-related citizen services, including the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), complaint registration, citizen information, and safety and public awareness messages. The Chief Minister further said that Bengali and Hindi could be used in official correspondence with the Central government instead of foreign languages.

Manifesto Promise and International Recognition Efforts

The initiative is aimed at fulfilling one of the commitments made in the party's manifesto for the Legislative Assembly elections, which promised to preserve Bengal's cultural heritage and promote the development of the Bengali language. "We will work with the Central Government to ensure that efforts are made at the international level to secure recognition of Bengali as one of the official languages of the United Nations," Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said while releasing the document. (ANI)

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