Kolkata: With the political landscape heating up in the state, cultural identities and ‘Bengali asmita’ have become major talking points for political parties.CM Mamata Banerjee has directed Trinamool workers to launch a month-long campaign, starting next week, to bring these issues to the forefront. Left Front and Congress have also lined up rallies to protest against the alleged harassment of Bengali speakers in BJP-governed states. Not to be left behind, BJP has highlighted Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s July 21 decision to expedite the process of handing over land ownership rights to 20,000 families from Bangladesh.Left Front parties will hold a rally on Wednesday, starting from Lenin’s statue at Esplanade and proceeding to Ramleela Park. State general secretary of CPM, Md Salim, said, “Harassment of the Bengali-speaking population started with migrant workers. Now they are harassing refugees who went to other states in search of work. Indian citizens are being falsely identified as Bangladeshis and are forced to leave the country.” Criticising Trinamool’s attempts to bring focus on ‘Bengali asmita’, Salim said, “Bengali language is one of the most neglected in schools and colleges; leave alone efforts to enhance the quality of Bengali literature, grammar, and linguistics.”Congress has planned a rally from Central Avenue to College Square on July 31 to protest against statements made by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. “Bengali workers are being attacked wherever there is a double-engine govt. It does not happen in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu or Bengal. BJP is trying to create a civil war-like situation. The state govt should convene an all-party meeting to avert further escalation of this situation,” said Subhankar Sarkar, Pradesh Congress president.BJP showcased the July 21 decision of UP govt to expedite the process of providing land ownership rights to about 20,000 displaced families, mostly from Bangladesh and settled in UP between 1950 and 1975. “It was a promise from Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, and Sardar Patel to stand by the side of those who were compelled to take refuge in India. Congress may have forgotten, but BJP has not. Th-ose trying to cast aspersions on BJP’s priority for Bengali asmita should learn a lesson from that,” said Samik Bhattacharya, Bengal BJP president.Trinamool has started preparations for ‘bhasha andolan’ (language agitation) from July 27. CM Banerjee, on July 21, asked party workers to prepare for a month-long programme against the “illegal detention” of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-governed states.
