Bengali will be required for all official communications starting on Sept. 1, 2026, according to the West Bengal administration.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari presented a letter from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the state to increase the use of Indian languages in government, during Monday's announcement in the Assembly, according to PTI.
The Chief Minister told the House that starting on Sept. 1, Bengali would be used at all levels of the state government. He further stated that while correspondence with the Union government would be conducted in both Bengali and Hindi, all official correspondence with other states would likewise be conducted in Bengali.
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Currently, English is the primary language used for official correspondence between the West Bengal government and the Centre.
The decision comes after Amit Shah wrote a letter during his recent three-day visit to West Bengal, according to PTI. The Union home minister sent the letter in Bengali and mentioned Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, who advocated promoting Indian languages while protecting the nation's linguistic diversity.
Shah recommended in the letter that Bengali be widely used at all levels of state administration, from the chief minister's office to the land revenue agency, including file management, official writing, departmental correspondence, and government instructions.
Additionally, he suggested prioritising Bengali on government websites, mobile applications, media ads, digital governance, public services, and other official communications.
In order to increase public participation in government, Shah further suggested that Bengali be widely utilised for filing First Information Reports (FIRs), making public grievances, issuing citizen information, and spreading awareness messages, according to PTI.
Additionally, the letter recommended using Rajbhasha Hindi and Bengali for official correspondence with the Center instead of just a foreign language. Shah pointed out that the Union Home Ministry already uses Hindi for file management, departmental communication, official notings, and government notifications, proving that administration in Indian languages is both useful and effective.
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Shah expressed hope that the West Bengal government would take proactive measures to encourage the widespread usage and advancement of Indian languages, citing Syama Prasad Mookerjee's 125th birthday. He claimed that such actions would preserve India's linguistic and cultural legacy while bolstering effective governance, according to PTI.
Shah emphasised the value of studying at least one Indian language in addition to one's home tongue when he opened the Museum of Word in Kolkata the day before the Assembly announcement. He claimed that linguistic variety is crucial to maintaining India's cultural identity.
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