Bengali Language Movement (Manbhum)

Part of Bengali language movements in India
A procession of people of Manbhum is crossing Howrah Bridge, 6 May 1956
Date1948 – 1956
Location
Manbhum, Bihar Province
(modern Purulia district of West Bengal and adjoining areas of Jharkhand)

23°20′N 86°22′E / 23.333°N 86.367°E / 23.333; 86.367
Caused byImposition of Hindi
GoalsBengali nationalism
MethodsProtests, sit-ins, demonstrations
Resulted inArea delimitation (November 1956)
Manbhum is located in India
Manbhum
Manbhum
Location of the movement

The Bengali Language Movement[1] of Manbhum was a cultural and political movement that took place in the then Bihar Province[2] from 1912 to 1956. Post independence, between 1948 and 1956, the language movement spread intensely among the Bengalis of Manbhum. Through this movement created around the Bengali language, the public demand for the establishment of Bengali as one of the official languages of the Bihar, mainly Manbhum, was expressed.[3] This language movement was first ever linguistic movement for Bengali language and the longest language movement in the world.[4][better source needed]

Protesters take oath in Pakbirra for language movement

The Bihar and Orissa Province was formed in 1912 by dividing the Bengal Presidency. At that time Bengali speaking Manbhum was included in the newly formed province. In 1936, the Bihar and Orissa Province was divided to form the Bihar Province, but Bengali-speaking Manbhum was kept with Hindi-dominant Bihar Province. In 1948, the then Government of Bihar declared Hindi as the only official language in the whole of Bihar including Manbhum. In the context of these incidents, deep anger was born among the Bengali-speaking common people of Manbhum and created adverse reactions. Practically the Bengali speaking people of Manbhum could not accept this unfair decision and were not mentally prepared at all. As a result, the movement in Manbhum to demand the equal status of Bengali language quickly spread. To suppress the movement, the Government of Bihar declared protest marches, meetings etc. illegal and prohibited.[3]

The growing mass movement finally forced the Government of Bihar to capitulate. In 1956, the Government of India split Manbhum district to form Purulia district and merged it with West Bengal as a new district.[3][5]

  1. ^ Acharya, Nanddulal (20 February 2018). "ভাষা আন্দোলনে মানভূম". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference anandabazar2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Ishtiaq, Ahmad (21 February 2023). "এক পলাশ রাঙা অধ্যায়". The Daily Star Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. ^ "First ever linguistic movement for Bangla, started in Manbhum, leading to formation of Purulia". www.getbengal.com. Get Bengal. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "The longest language movement in the history of the world over time is in Bengal". JiyoBangla. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 23 February 2020.