In a bold move to rally linguistic pride, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has issued a strict whip via WhatsApp to its Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) councillors. The directive is clear: during the ongoing budget session, all speeches must be delivered exclusively in Bengali.
This decision comes amid heightened tensions over alleged attacks on Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. TMC leaders see it as a way to sharpen their protests while stoking regional sentiments ahead of upcoming assembly elections. Bappaditya Dasgupta, the party’s chief whip in KMC, urged councillors to join the ‘fight to save Bengali identity’ by sticking to the mother tongue in budget discussions.
“We are requesting members to stand with Bengalis in this battle for existence,” Dasgupta stated. “All speeches in the Kolkata Municipal budget session should be in Bengali.”
Many TMC councillors hail from Hindi or Urdu-speaking backgrounds and often revert to those languages or English during debates. This whip now pressures them to adapt, potentially leading to awkward moments on the floor.
The budget session, set to intensify over the next few days, pits TMC against BJP’s corruption allegations. While opposition councillors hammer away at graft charges, the ruling party counters by emphasizing Bengali language and cultural heritage.
Dasgupta highlighted the broader narrative: “Attacks on Bengali culture are rampant across India. Even scholars face no respite. In BJP states, Bengalis endure harassment for speaking their language—the same tongue that gave us Tagore’s national anthem and Bankim Chandra’s ‘Vande Mataram’.”
He positioned Bengali as a language of resistance. “Given the oppression, we’ve made it our voice of protest. I appealed to our councillors, and they’ve seen the mayor deliver her budget speech in Bengali last Friday. We expect others to follow suit.”
This linguistic mandate underscores TMC’s strategy to consolidate Bengali votes by framing regional identity against perceived national slights. As debates unfold, it could reshape the tone of Kolkata’s civic discourse, blending policy with passionate patriotism.