TMC demands renaming of West Bengal to 'Bangla', cites cultural significance

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday reiterated its demand to rename West Bengal as 'Bangla', emphasizing that the name reflects the state's history and cultural identity. Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, TMC MP Ritabrata Banerjee reminded the House that the West Bengal Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution for the name change in July 2018, but the Centre has yet to approve it.

Banerjee cited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which stated that the renaming would align with the aspirations of the people. He also highlighted the historical context, pointing out that the partition of Bengal in 1947 led to the creation of West Bengal and East Pakistan, the latter of which became Bangladesh in 1971.

The last state to undergo a name change was Orissa, which became Odisha in 2011. Banerjee argued that the renaming of cities such as Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai, and Calcutta to Kolkata set a precedent that should be applied to West Bengal.

Meanwhile, BJD MP Debashish Samantaray urged the Centre to grant national festival status to Odisha’s Bali Jatra, an ancient maritime trade festival. TMC MP Saket Gokhale sought consumer benefits from cheaper ethanol-blended petrol, while Sushmita Dev advocated for the dredging of the Barak River in Assam to boost inland trade.

Other issues raised included BJP MP Kavita Patidar’s call for groundwater conservation to prevent railway underpass flooding, PT Usha’s demand for an AIIMS in Kozhikode, Kerala, and BJP MP S Selvaganabathy’s concern over climate change affecting agriculture, urging research into weather-resistant crops.