More members of the film and music fraternity in Bengal joined the chorus against Delhi Police over a purported letter that referred to Bengali as “Bangladeshi national language”, questioning whether it was a mistake on the part of the official who addressed the letter or a “deliberately made error”.
Bengali film industry members like Sudeshna Roy, Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Anupam Roy expressed concern over how the letter otherises on the basis of language.
For the unversed, an official communication reportedly sent by a Delhi Police officer to the in-charge of Banga Bhawan, West Bengal’s state guest house in New Delhi, sought the services of a translator “proficient in Bangladeshi national language” to assist in an investigation involving eight suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
The reference to Bengali as a “Bangladeshi” language sparked outrage, with many calling it an affront to a language recognised by the Constitution of India.
“We will not tolerate any disrespect towards our mother tongue. Long live the Bengali language. We will sing in Bengali, speak in Bengali, and resist any obstacles – we will fight, speak up, and triumph,” filmmaker Sudeshna Roy wrote on Facebook.
Musician and playback singer Anupam Roy shared an image of the letter on X and quoted a line from Pratul Mukhopadhayay’s popular song Ami Banglay Gaan Gai.
“Is it just a small mistake or a deliberately made error? Remember, I sing in Bengali, and I always find my true self in this Bengali,” he wrote.
Actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhayay also joined the outcry, penning a long post on Facebook to express concern over the mention of the Bengali language as that used by Bangladeshis.
While firmly supporting the principle of safeguarding India’s borders from illegal foreign interference, he criticised the ignorance of the authorities who addressed the purported letter.
“FYI, it’s a language (and a culture) that’s duly recognised and celebrated by our great constitution! FYI, our national poet happened to be Bengali and happened to have written all his life in this language, which you’re now calling Bangladeshi (and has won some awards too! Take the Nobel Prize for instance! Yes… THE Nobel prize for literature!) Yes, Bangladeshis speak Bangla as well. It is their national language. That’s shared heritage and history,” the Killbill Society actor wrote.
He also drew attention to the shared cultural and linguistic heritage between West Bengal and Bangladesh, a result of the 1947 Partition, and questioned why other shared languages like Punjabi or Sindhi didn’t face the same bias.
“Is this symptomatic of a certain mindset? One that innately “otherises” all other languages and cultures in the country apart from what’s practiced and spoken in the mainstream? If yes, then the people doing this need a thorough lesson on our great Constitution. Is this a careless and ignorant mistake? If yes, then I must say, you need to get your act right, mates, cause right now, it’s below par,” the actor wrote.
“Since Bangla is one of India’s national/recognised languages, the central government should be able to handle the translation on its own. And if not, there’s always the Bengali Department at Delhi University. I’ve shared the Wikipedia link in the comments,” wrote director Subrata Sen on Facebook.
Article 343 of the Indian Constitution recognises Bengali as one of India’s 22 scheduled languages under the Eighth Schedule. It is the official language of West Bengal and Tripura, and is widely spoken in parts of Assam, Jharkhand and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
