West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the central government of India to change the state's name from West Bengal to "Bangla" during a press conference on Thursday (11 January).
Mamata, also the chairman of the All India Trinamool Congress party, stated that there is no need to have the term "West" attached to the state's name, reports Indian media outlet Business Standard.
The chief minister also questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre government on why West Bengal is being excluded from the states that are allowed to change their names.
This request comes days after the municipal body of Ghaziabad decided to change its name.
She used Pakistan as an example, which also has a province named Punjab, adjoining the Indian state of the same name. Banerjee emphasized that nothing has been done to distinguish India's Punjab from Pakistan's.
The Trinamool Congress government had requested the central government to change the state's name when it first came to power in 2011. "Paschim Banga" and "Paschim Bango" were among the suggestions for the new name. Five years later, Mamata Banerjee proposed additional names, including "Bongo" or "Bangla". Now, the chief minister has once again raised the issue with the Centre, months ahead of the 2024 general elections.
She stated, "If our state's name is changed to Bangla, our children who participate in various competitions and pursue studies will get priority. In every meeting, we are forced to wait until the end. W, X, Y, Z. The importance of Bangla has been reduced."
