Bengal syllabus under TMC twisted Bengali language, says CM Adhikari
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the previous TMC government systematically replaced Bengali words with Urdu equivalents in school textbooks, sidelined icons like Vidyasagar and Vivekananda, and included a chapter glorifying the Singur agitation that drove Tata Motors out — all, he claims, for political gain. The charges put education and cultural identity squarely at the heart of Bengal's ongoing BJP-TMC battle.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on 3 September accused the previous TMC government of deliberately distorting the Bengali school syllabus.
He alleged Bengali words were replaced with Urdu equivalents — 'Ma' changed to 'Amma', 'Akash' to 'Asman' — as part of a political strategy.
Lessons on Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda were reportedly neglected, while a chapter on the Singur agitation was included.
The syllabus reportedly referenced former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee but omitted biographies of major freedom fighters.
Adhikari also blamed the Left Front for 34 years of damage to Bengali language education, including banning English at the primary level.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday, 3 September accused the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of deliberately distorting the Bengali school syllabus to serve narrow political interests and divide Bengali-speaking communities. Adhikari made the remarks while addressing an annual event of Vivekananda Vidya Vikas Parishad, the West Bengal affiliate of Vidya Bharati, in Kolkata.
The Language Distortion Charge
Adhikari alleged that the Bengali syllabus under the TMC government replaced indigenous Bengali words with Urdu equivalents — citing that the word for 'mother' was rendered as 'Amma' instead of 'Ma', and 'sky' was written as 'Asman' rather than 'Akash'. He contended this was not accidental but a calculated effort to fragment Bengali cultural identity.
'Bengali language was distorted in a planned manner. The syllabus was created in such a way that the lessons of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar or Swami Vivekananda remained neglected in the education system. Division was created in the minds of children through such distortion of language,' Adhikari said.
Left Front Also in the Dock
The Chief Minister extended his criticism to the preceding Left Front regime, arguing that West Bengal's education system had been damaged across two successive governments. 'For 34 years, the Communists hindered the promotion and spread of the Bengali language. They also barred English at the primary level and thus weakened the education system,' he said.
According to Adhikari, the rot deepened under the TMC, when 'the school syllabus was subjected to politics of appeasement' and figures of statesmanship and patriotism were systematically sidelined.
Singur Chapter and Political Content in Textbooks
Adhikari also targeted the inclusion of a chapter on the Singur anti-acquisition agitation — a movement in Hooghly district led by the TMC that resulted in Tata Motors abandoning its proposed small car manufacturing plant in the state. He argued that glorifying this episode in school textbooks amounted to institutionalising a politically motivated narrative.
'The school syllabus had detailed the destructive movement to drive away the Tatas. But it did not have the biography of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. The syllabus had a reference to former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. But it did not have the biographies of many great freedom fighters from the state,' he said.
What Adhikari Says Was at Stake
'If such an education system had continued, Bengal's reforms, patriotism, statehood, and nationalism would have been lost,' the Chief Minister warned. His remarks signal that a syllabus overhaul is likely a priority for the current administration, though no specific policy announcement was made at the event.
The charges come amid a broader political contest in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — now in power — and the TMC remain in sharp opposition, with education and cultural identity increasingly at the centre of that rivalry.
Point of View
And it lands with particular force in a state where cultural pride runs deep. What the charges do not address is any specific corrective action: no revised curriculum has been announced, no independent review body named. The Left Front's 34-year record and the TMC's tenure are both in the dock, but the BJP administration's own educational agenda remains largely undefined. Accountability for past distortions is a legitimate demand; the harder question is what replaces them.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Suvendu Adhikari say about the Bengali school syllabus?
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the previous TMC government deliberately distorted the Bengali school syllabus by replacing Bengali words with Urdu equivalents and sidelining icons like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda. He made these remarks at a Vivekananda Vidya Vikas Parishad event in Kolkata on 3 September.
What specific changes in the syllabus did Adhikari object to?
Adhikari cited the use of 'Amma' instead of 'Ma' for mother and 'Asman' instead of 'Akash' for sky as examples of deliberate linguistic distortion. He also objected to the inclusion of a chapter on the Singur anti-acquisition agitation and a reference to former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, while biographies of freedom fighters and figures like Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee were absent.
Why is the Singur chapter controversial?
The Singur chapter documented the TMC-led agitation against land acquisition in Hooghly district, which ultimately caused Tata Motors to abandon its proposed small car plant in West Bengal. Adhikari argues that including this episode in school textbooks amounted to politically motivated content that glorified a movement damaging to the state's industrial prospects.
Did Adhikari only criticise the TMC government?
No. Adhikari also blamed the Left Front regime for 34 years of harm to Bengali language education, including a ban on English at the primary level. He argued that both governments, in succession, undermined the quality and integrity of West Bengal's education system.
Has the current West Bengal government announced any syllabus reforms?
Adhikari did not announce a specific syllabus reform or timeline at the event. His remarks signal intent to overhaul the curriculum, but no formal policy, review committee, or revised framework has been made public as of this report.
