West Bengal is likely to be renamed “Paschim Banga”, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said on Wednesday, claiming that the proposed name would preserve the state’s historical identity. Bhattacharya earlier said that, if the BJP formed the government in the state, it would introduce a bill in the first session of the Assembly to formally effect the name change.
“How many times must I say, brother?
Speaking to reporters, Bhattacharya said there should be no further ambiguity over the BJP’s position on the issue. The name will be ‘ Paschim Banga ’,” he said, as per ANI. On Monday, Bhattacharya said that names such as “Paschim Bangla”, “Bangla” and “Banga” would no longer be used once the proposed change was implemented. “Paschim Banga is coming,” he had said, referring to the proposed name.
Bhattacharya said the proposed change would be backed by legislation and that a bill could be introduced in the first session of the Assembly after the BJP forms the government in the state. The issue of changing West Bengal ’s name has been debated for years. The proposal, however, did not receive the Centre’s approval. He described universal and inclusive education as a central objective of the National Education Policy.
He said the objective was to ensure that the state’s official identity remained connected to its history. The Trinamool Congress government had previously proposed changing the state’s name to “Bangla”, arguing that the existing name placed it lower in alphabetical listings and did not reflect the Bengali name used locally. He argued that students from minority communities should have equal access to subjects such as science and mathematics and said the move was consistent with the Centre’s education policy. Bhattacharya said the objective was to bring education under a common standard and ensure that children from Muslim families were not excluded from mainstream educational opportunities.
He said BJP workers, supporters and others gathered across administrative districts to hear Modi’s address and claimed that the Prime Minister had spoken from the heart about his journey in public life.
