Kolkata, Feb 22, 2026
A day after the International Mother Language Day was celebrated with a lot of fanfare in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday, said she was pained deeply that divisive forces were attempting to malign and target those who speak Bangla, labelling them as “ghuspaithiya (illegal infiltrators), subjecting them to humiliation and persecution”.
At the same time, the Chief Minister claimed that she would continue with her relentless struggle and movement against any attempt to undermine “Bengal’s culture, heritage or identity” by intolerance or narrow-minded politics.
Although the Chief Minister did not target anybody directly, her clear indication was towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), considering the ruling party in the country has been especially vocal on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in West Bengal and their alleged inclusion in the voters’ list of the state over the years.
“It pains me deeply that divisive forces are attempting to malign and target those who speak Bangla, labelling them as “ghuspaithiya”, subjecting them to humiliation and persecution. Such actions strike at the very heart of constitutional values. We shall never allow Bengal’s culture, heritage or identity to be undermined by intolerance or narrow-minded politics,” the Chief Minister said in a statement that she posted on X in the morning.
According to her, since West Bengal, as well as India, has been the land of diverse languages and cultures, there should be equal love for “Bangla” as a language, just like the other languages spoken throughout the country.
“Bengal and India, islands of many languages and cultures. As we love Bangla with devotion, we equally respect Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Kurukh, Kurmali, Rajbanshi, Santali, Kamtapuri, Sadri, and every other language spoken across our soil. Each language carries within it the history, memory, and aspirations of its people. This unity in diversity is our greatest strength,” the Chief Minister observed.
Hence, the Chief Minister added, it pained her deeply that divisive forces were attempting to malign and target Bengali-speaking people by labelling them as illegal, Infiltrators and thus subjecting them to humiliation and persecution.
“Such actions strike at the very heart of constitutional values. We shall never allow Bengal’s culture, heritage, or identity to be undermined by intolerance or narrow-minded politics,” the Chief Minister added.(Agency)
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