LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, June 29: JMM chief and Chairman of the State Coordination Committee Shibu Soren has said that Bangla speakers inhabit major pockets of the State and they are permanent citizens and Moolvasis (Natives) of Jharkhand.
In a letter to Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw, Soren has 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,” he has pointed out.
“However, we are observing that the Bangla name is being erased at several stations in Jharkhand in recent times. It is unfortunate and impractical,” Soren said.
“Jharkhand happened to be the part of the Bengal presidency till 1912. Thereafter, 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,” he said.
He has particularly named 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. So, these railway stations should be named in Bangla language too, he has demanded.
Soren 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.
