Kolkata, 18 February (H.S.) – The West Bengal government has decided to restore the original words of the state anthem Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol. According to a directive issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, the word ‘Bangla’ will be replaced with ‘Bengali’ in the anthem.

In 2023, the state government passed a resolution in the Assembly declaring Poila Baisakh as State Day and officially recognizing this song, written by Rabindranath Tagore, as the state anthem. However, during the Kolkata International Film Festival in December 2023, the original lyrics were altered, replacing ‘Bengali’ with ‘Bangla’, sparking controversy.

Criticism arose because the original lyrics—Bengalir pran, Bengalir mon, Bengalir ghore jato bhai bon—were changed to Banglar pran, Banglar mon, Banglar ghore jato bhai bon. The latest directive restores the word ‘Bengali’ to its original form.

The directive also states that the anthem should be completed within one minute and encourages people to stand while singing, though it is not mandatory. This revision comes at a time when incidents involving the removal of Rabindranath Tagore and Jibanananda Das’s legacy are occurring in Bangladesh.

Hindusthan Samachar / S P Singh