Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president and Chairman of the State Coordination Committee Shibu Soren has urged the Railway Minister to use the Bangla language along with tribal languages at places inhabited by Bengali community people.
In a letter to Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw, Soren pointed out that there are a large number of Bengali-speaking people in Santhal Pargana, Manbhum, Singhbhum, Dalbhum and Panchpargana. “It is a common language among a large population in Jharkhand,” says his letter. “In recent times, we have found that the Bangla name has been erased at several stations in Jharkhand. Removing the Bangla language is unfortunate and impractical,” the letter further says.“
Jharkhand was part of the Bengal presidency till 1912. Later on, it became part of Bihar. So, when the Britishers began to lay railway lines in 1908, they named the stations in English, Hindi, Bangla and even in Oriya at some places. Thereafter, when the Santhal language was inserted in the Eighth Scheduled of the Constitution, several stations were named in Santhali language too,” the letter says.
The JMM chief has cited a few examples -Pakur, Barharwa, Jamtara, Mihijam, Madhupur, Jasidih, Maithan, Kumardhubi, Chirkunda, Kalubathan, Dhanbad, Gomo, Parasnath, Hazaribag, Muri, Ranchi, Hatia, Chakulia, Galudih, Rakha mines, Tatanagar, Chandil, Kandra, Chakradharpur, Chaibasa, Barkakana, and Ranchi road where Bengalis reside in a large number. Considering their numbers , these railway stations should also be named in the Bangla language.
In the letter, the JMM chief has urged the railway minister to identify the Bangla-speaking places in consultation with the state government and use the Bangla language along with tribal languages to name the railway stations.