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Bengal BJP Chief Says Paschim Banga Bill May Come Soon
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya says the state government may soon introduce a Bill to rename the state Paschim Banga.
He says the name would connect the state with its history.
The announcement came while he was discussing a planned cultural centre in Varanasi called Paschim Banga Bhavan.
The proposed building would include a library and conference hall, and offer a place to stay for visitors from Bengal.
There have been attempts to change the state’s name before.
Proposals for Paschim Banga and Bangla were made over the years, but the Centre did not approve them.
The articles report Bhattacharya’s announcement, not that a new Bill has already been introduced.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the state government would soon introduce a Bill to rename the state Paschim Banga.
Bhattacharya said the proposed name was intended to connect the state with its history.
He also described plans for Paschim Banga Bhavan in Varanasi, a proposed cultural centre with accommodation for visitors from Bengal.
Earlier renaming proposals date to 1999; proposals made in 2011 and 2018 were not approved by the Centre.
The Centre cited the need for a constitutional amendment over the 2018 proposal, while some BJP leaders raised concerns about the name Bangla’s similarity to Bangladesh.
- Who
- West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya made the announcement.
- What
- He said the state government would soon table a Bill to rename West Bengal Paschim Banga.
- Where
- West Bengal Legislative Assembly; Bhattacharya spoke at a press conference in Kolkata.
- When
- The announcement was reported on Monday; the Bill may be introduced in an upcoming assembly session.
- Why
- Bhattacharya said the proposed name would connect the state with its history.
Arguments for renaming
Concerns and obstacles
Choice and purpose of the name
Arguments for renaming
Bhattacharya said Paschim Banga would connect the state with its history. Earlier proponents argued that a new name could reflect Bengali identity and shed a colonial-era name.
Concerns and obstacles
Previous proposals have not secured the Centre’s approval. The articles also report that some BJP leaders objected to Bangla because of its similarity to Bangladesh.
Administrative case raised in 2011
Arguments for renaming
The Mamata Banerjee government argued that West Bengal’s place near the bottom of the alphabetical state list made its representatives wait to speak at national meetings.
Concerns and obstacles
The proposal was not approved by the Centre, and the articles do not report that the claimed administrative disadvantage was resolved through a name change.
Key facts
- Proposed name
- Paschim Banga
- Announced by
- Samik Bhattacharya, West Bengal BJP president
- Status
- Bhattacharya said a Bill would be introduced soon; the articles do not report that it has been tabled.
- Earlier proposal
- The Jyoti Basu-led Left Front government moved a Paschim Banga renaming resolution in 1999.
- 2018 proposal
- The state assembly unanimously passed a resolution proposing Bangla as the state’s single name.
- Centre's response
- The Centre did not approve the earlier proposals; for the 2018 proposal it cited the need for a constitutional amendment.
- Related project
- Paschim Banga Bhavan is planned as a cultural centre and accommodation facility in Varanasi.
Quotes
Samik Bhattacharya
Bengal BJP president
“We have now decided to build a cultural centre comprising a conference hall, library and collection of Bengali literature and songs, alongside parking facilities. The facility will double up as a place for stay for pilgrims from Bengal and will also offer a space for social gatherings for local Bengalis who have lived there for four to five generations.”
telegraphindia.com
theprint.in
“You will not have to utter names like Bangla or West Bengal anymore because the state government will very soon introduce a Bill, possibly in the very session of the assembly, to rename our state Paschim Banga, keeping in line with its history.”
telegraphindia.com
theprint.in
Sources
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