Kolkata, Sep 14 (IANS) On the occasion of the ‘Hindi Diwas’, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a social message on Sunday, highlighting the initiatives undertaken by the state government under her leadership for the Hindi-speaking people residing in the state.

Her social media message comes amid the recent narrative coined by her and her party, Trinamool Congress, that “Bengalis are in danger”, alleging harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. Many pro-Trinamool Congress intellectuals in Bengal have also accused the BJP-ruled states of enforcing “Hindi-language dominance” over Bengali and other regional languages there.

Political observers feel that the Chief Minister’s message on Sunday morning was a kind of balancing act to send a message that neither she nor her party was against the Hindi-speaking people residing in West Bengal.

“Today is Hindi Diwas. On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all my Hindi-speaking brothers and sisters. Every year, we celebrate Hindi Diwas with reverence. We are respectful towards all languages. In this context, let me mention that since 2011, we have taken several steps for the development of Hindi-speaking people in the state,” said the Chief Minister in her X post in Hindi (loosely translated).

According to Mamata Banerjee, in areas where more than 10 per cent of the population speaks Hindi, provisions have been made to use Hindi as an official language.

“During our tenure, we have also recognised Santali, Kurukh, Kudmali, Nepali, Urdu, Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Odia, Punjabi, and Telugu as official languages. We have also made efforts to promote the Sadri language,” she added in her statement.

She also reminded us of her initiative to establish the Hindi Academy in West Bengal as a mark of respect towards the language.

“In the field of education, a Hindi University has been set up in Howrah. Hindi-medium degree colleges have been established in Banarhat and Naxalbari. Additionally, Hindi postgraduate courses have been introduced in several colleges. Higher secondary question papers are now available in Hindi as well. Students of Rabindra Mukta Vidyalaya can appear for secondary examinations in the Hindi language,” she added.

She has also been reminded of the West Bengal government’s initiative to introduce free social security schemes for Hindi-speaking people and others working in the unorganised sectors in West Bengal.

“On the occasion of the Gangasagar Mela, excellent infrastructure has been developed in that area. Respecting the sentiments of the Hindi-speaking community, the state government has announced a two-day government holiday on the occasion of Chhath Puja. Once again, I extend my congratulations to everyone on Hindi Diwas,” she added.

–IANS

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