CPI(M) West Bengal State secretary Md. Salim slams Mamata for waking up late to Bengali identification concern

Communist Party of India (Marxist) West Bengal State secretary Mohammad Salim has ridiculed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims of upholding Bengali identification. He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have for a few years been concentrating on regional identities and accused Ms. Banerjee for “waking as much as the problem now” in a bid to win the 2026 Assembly elections. 

“This shouldn’t be a brand new concern, BJP and RSS have at all times been concentrating on probably the most marginalised sections utilizing numerous State and non-State machineries to profile and single-out the poorest of the poor. Ms. Mamata stayed mum for all these years, now she has abruptly woken up and realised she will use this to win the 2026 elections,” Mr Salim instructed The Hindu. 

He accused that if the Trinamool Congress occasion chairperson, Ms. Banerjee cared concerning the Bengali language and Bengali identification she would work to strengthen the general public institutes which train and impart the language to the younger generations. “The Bengali language has been ruined in colleges and faculties beneath her, lesser college students enroll to review the topic. Bengali language is already beneath menace beneath her,” Mr Salim added. 

Addressing a press convention, Mr Salim additionally dismissed the annual Shahid Dibas (Martyr’s Day) celebration that the TMC conducts yearly on July 21 is extra of an “annual picnic” which is organised for TMC staff beneath the watch of the Kolkata Police. He accused that for all of the crimes that the TMC staff conduct all year long, they’re rewarded via this annual “tour day”. 

His remarks got here in response to Ms. Banerjee holding her remaining Martyr’s Day tackle on the coronary heart of Kolkata addressing her staff and supporters and setting the political narrative for the upcoming State Legislative Assembly elections within the State. Bengali language and Bengali identification took centre stage as TMC stored dialing up the warmth on BJP for assault of Bengali-speaking migrants in a number of BJP-ruled States. 

From the Martyr’s Day program, Ms Banerjee additionally gave a name to start out a language motion in West Bengal from July 26. Reacting to this name given by the CM Mr. Salim mentioned, “Language actions occur when one language is being forcefully imposed on one other group, prefer it occurred in Tamil Nadu for Hindi imposition or in Bangladesh for Urdu imposition. This discrimination based mostly on language that’s taking place in opposition to Bengalis requires a political motion.” 

Mr. Salim mentioned that Ms. Banerjee has ruined Bengali language, tradition, and traditions and introduced established Bengali writers into her occasion and have degraded their requirements. He acknowledged that if a language must be saved, then it needs to be executed via schooling, respect, and institutional assist, not political addresses. 

Senior CPI(M) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya mentioned Mamata is now fearful of CPI(M) as a result of the latest programmes of their occasion are gathering assist.