In response to reported attacks against Bengali-speaking migrants nationwide, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began her widely reported “Bhasha Andolan” from Bolpur in the Birbhum district on Monday. Rich in passion and symbolism, the protest march started at the Tourist Lodge crossing and ended at the Jamboni bus terminal, which is three kilometers away in the center of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s estate.
Banerjee led the parade, waving at the spectators on either side of the road while holding a photo of Tagore.
The gathering had a decidedly Bengali cultural flavor as party workers sung Pratul Mukhopadhyay’s famous protest ballad “Ami Banglay Gaan Gai” while women wearing white and red saris blasted conch shells.
Last week, Banerjee urged TMC employees to get ready for a new agitation on July 28 that he referred to as a second “Language Movement,” equating it with the famous 1952 demonstration in Dhaka where students gave their lives to demand that Bengali be recognized as an official language of Pakistan.
In remembrance of that battle, the UN subsequently proclaimed February 21 to be International Mother Language Day.
Mamata Has Launched Bhasha Andolan from Tagore’s Land
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has set a week-long ‘Bhasha Andolan’ (Language Movement) in motion from Bolpur-Santiniketan, the cultural soul of Bengal and the place of birth of Rabindranath Tagore. Carrying a portrait of Tagore and chanting “Ami Banglay Gaan Gai,” she marched for three kilometres, accusing the BJP-led Centre and some states of playing what she called “linguistic terrorism” against Bengali-speaking migrants.
Protest Against The Reported Harassment Of Bengali Migrants
Banerjee said the movement arose from reports of incidents of police brutality towards Bengali workers in Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Odisha, showing video footage of the alleged beating of a mother and child in Delhi. She called for justice, saying Bengalis across India have become unfair targets. In her words, the Chief Minister presented this movement more as a cultural and social campaign rather than a political one for the defence of Bengali identity and language.
Location As Message – Cultural Pride Meets Political Messaging
Choosing Bolpur to launch the project affords greater symbolic significance for Banerjee, who chained her protest to the legacy of Tagore and pride of Bengal. The Bhasha Andolan would definitely have some paybacks in the 2026 election, whereby Mamata is using the platform to question the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls, fearing it may disenfranchise Bengali-speaking migrants. The movement will carry on through the districts in Bengal, cementing her political message to the respect and protection of the language, culture, and people of the state.
