Kolkata, June 30, 2025 — A new debate has started in West Bengal about the inclusion of language in competitive exams, with ‘Bangla Pokkho’, a socio-political group promoting Bengali linguistic and cultural rights, holding a demonstration rally against a current state government directive. The protest is a reaction to the addition of Hindi and Urdu as elective languages for the West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS) 2025 exam. Regional organizations have vehemently condemned the action, calling it an assault on the supremacy of the Bengali language in the state’s administrative and educational domains. 

In addition to Bengali and English, candidates taking the WBCS Preliminary and Main examinations may now choose to write their papers in Hindi and Urdu, according to the official directive that was released earlier this month. According to the government, the inclusion was justified by the objective of increasing the exam’s inclusivity for linguistic minority applicants living in the state. But Bengali language advocacy organizations, notably “Bangla Pokkho,” have been critical of the move, seeing it as diminishing the role of Bengali in the administrative structure of West Bengal. 

Hundreds of Bangla Pokkho supporters marched to the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) office on College Street in the heart of Kolkata on Sunday, chanting slogans in favor of the Bengali language and against what they called the “Hindi-Urdu imposition.” The demonstrators held up signs with phrases such as “Bangla ei Rajyer Matribhasha” (Bengali is the mother tongue of this state) and “WBCS e Banglar Abomanona Cholar Noi” (Disrespect to Bengali in WBCS will not be tolerated). 

The march’s organizers claimed that the state government’s action goes against the fundamental principles of West Bengal’s constitution and culture. A senior leader of the organization told the press that the inclusion of Hindi and Urdu in state-level administrative exams establishes a hazardous precedent that threatens to undermine Bengal’s linguistic character. The WBCS test, he said, is intended to attract candidates who will work as officers in Bengal and engage with the general public at the community level. For this reason, Bengali fluency should be a must, not an elective ability. 

If the order is not repealed, Bangla Pokkho has warned that it will step up its protest. In order to contest the government’s choice on constitutional grounds, the group intends to submit a petition to the Calcutta High Court. This new policy, according to them, violates the West Bengal Official Language Act, 1961, which recognizes Bengali as the state’s official language. 

The language problem in West Bengal, which has frequently seen conflict between regional identity and national integration, has been made worse by the conflict. Some academics and activists have applauded the government’s action as a step toward inclusivity, while others contend that this inclusivity should not be achieved at the expense of the majority language’s prominence in national affairs. 

A government representative stated in response to the criticism that the goal is not to harm Bengali. He reiterated that Bengali would continue to be the official language of the state and that all administrative correspondence would continue in Bengali. Nonetheless, because of the variety of languages spoken in the state, particularly in areas like Murshidabad, Malda, and sections of North Bengal, the addition of Hindi and Urdu is considered to be a necessary measure to guarantee fair opportunity for all candidates. 

In the interim, opposition political parties have taken advantage of the chance to attack the administration, charging it with engaging in a double game. The government, they claim, is promoting policies that may undermine the cultural basis of the state while portraying itself as a protector of Bengali pride. 

The problem has also become popular on social media, with hashtags like #SaveBengali and #NoHindiUrduInWBCS trending across several sites. Numerous users mentioned instances from other states where regional languages predominate the civil service hiring process, expressing alarm over the rising impact of other languages in West Bengal’s public institutions. 

Educationists and ex-officials have urged dialogue and reflection as tensions increase. They contend that in a diverse nation like India, inclusion is crucial, but regional hiring practices should also take into account the linguistic and cultural environment of the individual states. 

Although the state government has not yet stated whether it will revisit the decision, the demonstration by Bangla Pokkho represents a key turning point in the broader debate over language, identity, and government in West Bengal. The discussion over language inclusion in WBCS 2025 is far from over, with more demonstrations planned and legal challenges on the horizon.