Proposal to Rename West Bengal

Why in News?

Proposal to Rename West Bengal: Recently, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Parliament raised the demand to rename West Bengal to ‘Bangla’. According to them, the name ‘Bangla’ better reflects the state’s historical and cultural heritage.

Background of the Demand to Rename West Bengal

The demand to rename West Bengal is deeply rooted in a long historical, political, and cultural context. This issue has been raised by various governments over time, but no concrete decision has been taken so far.

• Historical Context
  • Partition of 1947 and Naming: After independence, Bengal, like Punjab, was divided into East Bengal and West Bengal. East Bengal became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and West Bengal was retained as part of India. While Punjab was renamed simply “Punjab” after the partition, no similar move was made for West Bengal at that time. The priority was to address refugee rehabilitation, flood control, and industrial development rather than renaming the state.
  • Partition of 1905: Bengal had already been divided in 1905 by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy, when Eastern Bengal and Assam was formed. Even then, the region retained its name “Bengal”. The division was annulled in 1911 due to the pressure of nationalist movements.
• Cultural Context
  • Bengal’s Historical Heritage: The discussion about renaming West Bengal is not just an administrative matter, but one that is deeply tied to the cultural identity, history, and heritage of Bengal. The term ‘Bengal’ is linked to the ancient kingdom of Vanga, which is mentioned in ancient texts like the Mahabharata, Puranas, and records from the Gupta Empire. Bengal is renowned in both Indian and world history for its literary, intellectual, and revolutionary traditions.
  • Cultural Renaissance: Bengal was the center of India’s 19th-century cultural renaissance and linguistic movements. The region gave birth to great literary figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose works have come to define Bengali language and culture. 
• Origins of the Renaming Demand
  • Proposal by Jyoti Basu’s Government (1999): The first official proposal to change the state’s name was made in 1999 by the Left Front government led by Jyoti Basu. They suggested changing the state’s name to either “West Bangla” or simply “Bangla”. However, this proposal was never accepted by the central government.
  • Mamata Banerjee’s Initiative (2011 and 2018): In 2011, after the TMC came to power, the issue was raised again. Mamata Banerjee argued that the state’s name starting with “W” often resulted in it being called last in meetings with the central government, which diminished its impact. A similar proposal was sent to the central government in 2016 but was rejected.
  • In 2018, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a resolution unanimously to rename the state to “Bangla”, with the Bengali version being “Bangla”, the Hindi version and the English version as “Bengal”.
• Political and Administrative Opposition: The current central government opposed this proposal and launched the “Bangla Bachao” (Save Bengal) campaign. Subsequently, the central government rejected the 2018 proposal. The central government raised concerns that naming the state “Bengal” might cause confusion internationally, given that Bangladesh also shares a similar name.

Process of Renaming a State Under the Constitution

In India, the process of renaming a state is outlined under Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution. This process is carried out within a legally structured framework that ensures constitutional and legal compliance.

• Initiating the Renaming Process: 
  • The process to change a state’s name can begin through either the Parliament or the state legislature. The state government may send a proposal to change the name, or the central government may also initiate the process to rename a state.
  • If the state government proposes the name change, the Ministry of Home Affairs reviews the proposal. After this, the proposal is presented to the Union Cabinet for approval. Once the Cabinet gives its approval, a Constitutional Amendment Bill is introduced in Parliament.
• Process Under Article 3
  • To change a state’s name in Parliament, a bill is introduced. Before introducing the bill, the recommendation of the President is required. The President sends the bill to the state legislature for its opinion.
  • Opinion of the State Legislature: The state legislature must express its opinion on the bill within a specified time frame. However, this opinion is only considered as a suggestion and is not binding on either the President or Parliament.
• Introduction of the Bill in Parliament: Once the specified time has passed, the bill is introduced in Parliament. It must be passed in both houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) by a simple majority.
• Presidential Approval: After passing in Parliament, the bill is sent to the President for approval. Upon the President’s approval, the bill becomes law, and the state’s name is officially changed.
• Amendment of Schedule-1 of the Constitution: To change the name of a state, an amendment to Schedule-1 of the Constitution is made. This amendment officially incorporates the new name of the state.

Economic and Political Impacts of Renaming West Bengal

• Economic Impact: Changing a state’s name involves updating all government documents, office signage, maps, passports, and licenses. This process is both time-consuming and costly. Private institutions also need to update their documents, boards, and advertisements, which can lead to significant additional expenses. Changing signage at transport, railway stations, and airports may also cost millions of rupees. As resources and attention are diverted to the renaming process, there may be a reduction in focus on development projects.
• Updating all government and legal records to reflect the new name is a comprehensive and time-intensive process. The need to update both digital and manual records can place additional strain on the administration.
• Political Impact: Renaming a state can provide a community with an opportunity to reclaim its cultural and historical identity. This move is often used by political parties to consolidate their voter base. However, the renaming of a state may also attempt to present history from a specific perspective, which can lead to controversy. This could increase dissatisfaction among different communities, potentially causing social tensions.

Examples of State Name Changes After Independence

After India gained independence, several states changed their names, a process often driven by social, cultural, and political reasons.

• Andhra Pradesh: On November 1, 1956, the state of Andhra Pradesh was created by merging the Telugu-speaking regions of the Madras Presidency into Andhra State. The name change was aimed at establishing the culture and identity of the people of Andhra Pradesh.
• Kerala: On November 1, 1956, the state of Travancore-Cochin was renamed Kerala. The objective behind this change was to unify the state’s culture, language, and identity. The term ‘Kerala’ represented both the unity and diversity of the people, reflecting deep roots in the Malayalam language and Hinduism.
• Madhya Pradesh: In 1959, the name of the region formerly known as Madhya Bharat was changed to Madhya Pradesh. This change was significant both geographically and politically, as Madhya Bharat was centrally located in India. 
• Tamil Nadu: On January 14, 1969, the name of Madras State was changed to Tamil Nadu. The main motivation behind this change was to honor and promote the Tamil language and culture. The renaming marked a historic step in the Tamil Nadu movement and the reconstruction of Tamil cultural identity.
• Uttar Pradesh: Uttar Pradesh was previously called the United Provinces, and its name was changed on January 24, 1950, to Uttar Pradesh. This change was part of redefining the state’s cultural and political identity.
• Uttarakhand: The state of Uttaranchal was renamed Uttarakhand in 2007. The primary reason for the name change was to strengthen the identity of the newly formed Himalayan state after its separation from Uttar Pradesh. The name Uttarakhand was chosen to reflect the state’s natural beauty, cultural diversity, and association with the Himalayan mountains.
• Orissa to Odisha: In November 2011, Orissa’s name was officially changed to Odisha. This name change was made in honor of the Odia language, as the term ‘Orissa’ had originated from Hindi, whereas the state’s primary language is Odia.
• Puducherry: On October 1, 2006, Pondicherry was renamed Puducherry. This name change aimed to eliminate the colonial French identity and bring the state’s history and identity into an Indian context.
• Kerala (Proposed Change): The Kerala government proposed renaming the state as ‘Keralam,’ a name that is more fitting and popular in Malayalam. However, the proposal has not yet received approval from the central government.

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