Bengali Families in Udham Singh Nagar Seek Mother Tongue

Thousands of Bengali-speaking families in Udham Singh Nagar are renewing their demand for Bengali language instruction in government schools after years of unfulfilled promises. The Pradeshik Bengali Kalyan Samiti estimates that over one lakh Bengali-speaking children attend government schools in the district but have no opportunity to learn their mother tongue.

Bengali was previously taught in schools in Rudrapur and Dineshpur but was discontinued in 2014-15. Despite repeated memorandums to state authorities and assurances from former education minister Arvind Pandey, no concrete action has been taken. Community leaders argue that the *National Education Policy*, which advocates mother-tongue education during foundational years, supports their demand.

The community, representing more than five lakh Bengalis in the district including nearly three lakh voters, emphasizes that introducing Bengali would improve learning outcomes and preserve the linguistic and cultural identity of their children. Leaders have pursued the issue peacefully for over a decade, particularly focusing on schools in Rudrapur, Dineshpur, and Shaktifarm areas.