As many as eight Bengali associations of Jamshedpur have joined hands to demand meaningful promotion of the Bengali language, something that hadn't been done even five years after Jharkhand accorded it second language status.

Around 25 members of a joint forum, comprising Amal Sangha, Jharkhand Bangabhasi Samanvaya Samiti, New Farm Area Durga Puja Committee, Bangla Bhasi Ekota Mancha, Jharkhand Bangabhasi Samiti, Jharkhand Bengali Association, Bongo Bandhu, Seraikela Bengali Association submitted a memorandum addressed to Governor Droupadi Murmu through East Singhbhum DC Amitabh Kaushal at the district collectorate.

The petition claimed Bengali comprised about 42 per cent of the state's population and on the basis of the 2001 Census, of the 87 languages spoken in Jharkhand, the Bengali speaking population was the highest with their number touching over 4,70,000 in Jamshedpur alone.

Among the demands mentioned in the petition were provision of studying Bengali in schools, recruitment of Bengali teachers, publication of Bengali books, mandatory Bengali announcements at bus termini, railway stations and local radio stations and the use of the language in government and court proceedings.

"The worst sufferers are students in Bengali medium schools who have to study Hindi due to lack of books and teachers," said general secretary of Amal Sangha, Sidhgora.

The associations have said that if their demands were not met, then they would stage a march to Raj Bhavan and meet Governor Droupadi Murmu and also stage a sit-in before chief minister Raghubar Das's residence in Jamshedpur.

"We will wait to see what Raj Bhavan does. If nothing happens, then we will hold an agitation in front of Raj Bhavan and submit our petition again to the Governor. We will also hold demonstration at the chief minister's residence in Agrico whenever he is in the steel city," said Aparna Guha of Bongo Bandhu.