Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury slammed Delhi Police for labeling a Bengali accent as ‘Bangladeshi language’. Calling it an insult to India’s linguistic diversity, he warned against profiling Northeast residents and accused the BJP of promoting Hindi imposition under a divisive ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ agenda.
Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly and senior CPIM politburo member Jitendra Chaudhury has strongly condemned a controversial reference made by the Delhi Police in an official communication, which described a certain Bengali accent as the “Bangladeshi language.” The comment came in the context of arrests made during a crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the national capital.
Chaudhury, who is known for his vocal stand on cultural and linguistic rights, termed the description a “gross insult” to the Bengali language and an affront to the constitutional values of India.
“The language someone speaks or the accent they have does not define their nationality. Such categorization is not only ignorant but deeply offensive,” he said, reacting sharply to the language used by the Delhi Police.
According to media reports, the police, in a letter documenting their operations against suspected illegal immigrants, referred to the spoken language of the detainees as “Bangladeshi language,” without recognizing that the dialect in question is in fact a regional form of Bengali—India’s second-most spoken language.
Chaudhury stressed that the Bengali language, far from being foreign, is at the core of Indian national identity. “The national anthem and the national song of this country were composed in Bengali. To call it a foreign or Bangladeshi language is to insult the very foundations of our national pride,” he added.
A Deeper Problem: ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ Philosophy
Taking his criticism further, Chaudhury accused the ruling BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, of promoting a homogenized national identity that marginalizes linguistic and cultural diversity.
“This isn’t a standalone error by Delhi Police. It reflects a deeper problem rooted in the idea of ‘Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan’. The ruling dispensation is actively trying to impose Hindi at the cost of other constitutionally recognized languages,” he said.
Chaudhury warned that such actions send a dangerous message and alienate communities who have always been an integral part of the Indian mosaic. “Bengali is listed under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. It deserves the same respect as any other official language of India,” he said.
Implications for Tripura and the Northeast
The Tripura opposition leader also raised concerns about the impact this incident might have on people from his state and the broader Northeast region.
“People from Tripura and other Northeastern states who speak Bengali with an accent similar to that in Bangladesh—due to our shared geography and cultural ties—might become easy targets for profiling and harassment,” he warned.
He added that individuals from the Northeast are often subjected to discrimination based on their physical appearance and the languages they speak. “It is unconstitutional and unethical to judge anyone’s citizenship or loyalty to the country based on their looks or accent,” he said.
Chaudhury called upon the central government to clarify its position and issue directives to prevent such mischaracterizations in the future. “This issue is not just about semantics; it’s about respecting the diversity that defines India,” he stated.
He also demanded that the Home Ministry take immediate action to educate law enforcement agencies on India’s linguistic plurality and to uphold the constitutional values of equality and dignity for all citizens.
Call for Accountability
The CPIM leader urged political parties, civil society organizations, and linguistic rights groups to stand up against what he termed “systemic erasure” of minority languages and cultures.
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“This is a wake-up call. Today it is Bengali. Tomorrow, it could be any other language or region that doesn’t fit into the central government’s idea of uniformity,” Chaudhury concluded.
