TMC Seeks Apology from Himanta Over Bengali Mother Tongue Comment

Quick Summary

• Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised objections to comments by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the inclusion of Bengali as a “mother tongue” in Census documents.
• Mr. Sarma suggested that writing Bengali on electoral rolls would help quantify the number of “foreigners” in Assam.
• TMC accused Mr. Sarma’s remarks of promoting hatred and contempt toward Bengali speakers, calling it an “outrageous claim.”
• The controversy follows a Foreigners’ Tribunal notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi from Cooch Behar declaring him an “illegal migrant,” with conflicting claims about his citizenship status between Assam and West Bengal governments.
• TMC leader Sushmita Dev criticized BJP governance for alleged racial profiling and harassment of Bengali-speaking Indians, demanding an apology from Mr. Sarma.

read More

Indian Opinion Analysis

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between states over linguistic identity and migration issues tied to electoral documentation and census records. While Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks reflect Assam’s concerns about illegal migration-an issue deeply rooted in its socio-political history-the sharp backlash from TMC underscores broader concerns around stereotyping communities based on linguistic affiliation.

Bengali is one of the most notable linguistic groups both within India’s diversity framework and globally, wich complicates any discourse framing it through exclusivist narratives or associating it with “foreignness.” These incidents can strain inter-state relations as linguistic disagreements risk evolving into wider political conflicts involving bordering states like West Bengal were such identities hold past resonance.

The case further underlines the critical role governmental institutions play in balancing regional apprehensions with national unity principles while addressing cross-border movements responsibly without alienating Indian citizens sharing cultural ties with neighboring regions like Bangladesh.