Himanta Biswa Sarma Refutes “Bangladeshi Language” Controversy, Defends Bengali Identity

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Shilcjar
• Aug 31, 2025
• 444

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday dismissed the controversy over labeling Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language,” asserting that there is no clash between Assamese and Bengali communities in the state.

Speaking at a public gathering in Silchar, Sarma stressed that divisive narratives were being spread for political gain. “There is no Assamese versus Bengali issue in Assam; we are all Hindus. These matters are raised by leaders like Sushmita Dev for their political benefits. If I contest from Silchar, I will win with a margin even larger than in Jalukbari,” he said.

Rejecting attempts to equate Bengali with Bangladeshi identity, Sarma pointed to Bengal’s rich literary and cultural heritage. “How can Bengali be termed Bangladeshi? Was Rabindranath Tagore from Bangladesh or West Bengal? Prime Minister Modi has granted classical language status to Bengali. How can the BJP insult the Bengali language and its people?” he remarked.

His comments follow a political storm triggered by the Delhi Police, which recently referred to Bangla as “Bangladeshi language” in an official communication. The remark drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which accused the BJP of undermining Bengali identity.

Adding fuel to the debate, BJP IT cell head and party’s co-observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, defended the terminology, claiming that “Bengali” represents ethnicity more than linguistic uniformity, and that “Bangladeshi language” was used only as shorthand to denote linguistic traits of illegal immigrants.

During his Silchar visit, CM Sarma also inaugurated a grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and unveiled the statue of 1857 freedom fighter Mangal Pandey.