West Bengal Govt Mandates Use Of Bengali Language In Official Communication

The West Bengal government will make Bengali language compulsory across all levels of the state administration from September 1, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the Assembly on Monday.

Adhikari made the announcement while reading out a letter from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had called on states to promote the wider use and development of Indian languages, news agency PTI reported.

“From September 1, 2026, use of the Bengali language will be mandatory at every level of the state government,” Adhikari said.

The chief minister said the state would also use Bengali in its correspondence with the Union government and other states. Communications with the Centre would be sent in both Bengali and Hindi, he added. Currently, such official correspondence is largely conducted in English.

According to Adhikari, Shah had written to him in Bengali during the Union home minister’s three-day visit to West Bengal. The letter referred to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s support for India’s linguistic diversity.

“He was an ardent supporter of conservation, development, and the extensive use of Indian languages,” Shah said in the letter, as quoted by Adhikari in the Assembly.

Shah reportedly urged the state government to introduce Bengali in file management, official notings, departmental correspondence and government orders across the administration, including departments such as land and land revenue and the Chief Minister’s Office.

The letter also recommended prioritising Bengali in public services, digital governance platforms, government websites, mobile applications, media advertisements and other forms of official communication.

Adhikari said Shah had suggested expanding the use of Bengali in the registration of First Information Reports, submission of complaints, dissemination of citizen information and public awareness messages. According to the letter, the move could help strengthen public trust and participation in governance.

“Instead of a foreign language, Bengali and Rajbhasha Hindi can be used in official communications with the central government,” the letter said.

Referring to the functioning of the Union Home Ministry, Shah said administrative work, including file processing, notings, departmental communication and official notifications, was effectively carried out in Hindi. He cited this as evidence that governance could be conducted efficiently through Indian languages.

“I believe that on the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, your government will take effective steps for the extensive use and development of Indian languages,” Shah said in the letter.

He added that greater use of Indian languages in administration would improve governance while also helping preserve the country’s linguistic and cultural heritage.