She said Urdu would be given second-official language status in districts with a 10 per cent or more Urdu-speaking population.
She also announced the restoration of the word “Madrasa” to the name of Aliah University. The Left Front government had dropped the word “Madrasa” when it gave Madrasa Aliah the status of a university. The Muslims had voiced their strong displeasure over the decision but the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had remained unmoved.
Mamta also announced that similar status would be granted to other linguistic minorities, like the Hindi, Oriya, Nepali, Gurmukhi and Santhali languages, in areas where the people speaking those languages exceeded 10 per cent of the total population.
Urdu loving people across the state has welcomed the chief minister gesture and demanded that it should not remain mere an announcement. “We welcome the gesture but it should not remain mere an announcement” said educationist and social worker Ghulam Moinunddin of Matiaburj.
The chief editor of the largest selling Urdu daily Akhbar E Mashriq, Wasmiul Haque is optimistic of all Mamta promises. “ I hope she will do justice not only with Urdu but all other issues of that affects minorities” he said adding that Mamta has brought a new hope in the state.