KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government's move to rename West Bengal as “Bangla” may be hindered after the Union Home Ministry wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), sharing concerns that the new name may sound like Bangladesh and make it difficult to differentiate between the two at international forums. Sources said it was advised that a response from the MEA on the ruling Trinamool Congress' proposal should be obtained before examining it further. They also added that unlike the change in name of a city or district, the change in name of the state will require a Constitutional amendment.
A top Home Ministry official elaborated on the process saying, “Once we receive a response from MEA, a draft note for the Cabinet will be prepared to bring an amendment. The Constitution amendment bill will then be introduced in Parliament and will need to be approved there, before it goes to the President.” The official also cited the change of Orissa's name in 2010-11 to Odisha, when the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010, and the Constitution (113th Amendment) Bill, 2010, were moved by then Home Minister P Chidambaram on the basis of resolutions passed by the state's Assembly.
According to Article 3(e) of the Constitution, “Parliament may by law alter the name of any State provided that no Bill for the purpose shall be introduced in either House of Parliament except on the recommendation of the President and unless, where the proposal contained in the Bill affects the area, boundaries or name of any of the States, the Bill has been referred by the President to the Legislature of that State for expressing its views thereon.” In June, West Bengal proposed the name change, citing historical, cultural, and political reasons. Banerjee justified the move saying the “West” in Bengal is a reminder of the 1947 partition of Bengal into East Bengal and the West Bengal province of independent India.
The move was hastened after she became the last CM to speak at the 2016 Inter-State Council meeting in Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the list of the names of the states was prepared in alphabetical order and West Bengal figured last.
