A member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed renaming the state of West Bengal to Paschim Banga, framing the move as a continuation of a linguistic reclamation trend currently unfolding in southern India. The proposal emerged during a Rajya Sabha debate over the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which seeks to officially change the name of Kerala to Keralam.
The suggestion by MP Bhattacharya links the two proposals through the lens of indigenous identity, arguing that states should be identified by their local linguistic descriptors rather than English colonial designations. While the Kerala bill is a formal legislative effort, the call for the renaming of West Bengal currently remains a parliamentary suggestion.
The Parliamentary Debate
The proposal for the renaming of West Bengal was introduced during the deliberation of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. The bill, which aims to transition the state’s official name to Keralam, has seen significant discussion in the upper house of Parliament.
During the proceedings, MP Bhattacharya expressed his support for the Kerala legislation. He noted that the desire to rename the state to Keralam was not a sudden political impulse but a request that residents of the state had pursued for several decades. By endorsing the bill, Bhattacharya positioned the move as a fulfillment of a long-standing regional aspiration.
Building on this momentum, Bhattacharya suggested that a similar logic should be applied to West Bengal. He proposed that the state be renamed Paschim Banga, which is the Bengali translation of “West Bengal.” The MP argued that adopting the local language for the state’s official name would align West Bengal with the cultural and linguistic trajectory currently being pursued by Kerala.
Why It Matters
The proposal to rename West Bengal to Paschim Banga is significant because it signals a potential shift in how the central government and its representatives view state identity and colonial legacies. The move transcends simple nomenclature; it is an assertion of linguistic primacy over administrative convenience.
For decades, many Indian states have operated under names formalized during the British Raj or through English translations of regional identities. By advocating for “Paschim Banga” and “Keralam,” proponents are attempting to strip away the English layer of governance and replace it with terms that resonate more deeply with the native populations.
Furthermore, the timing of this proposal—coming from a BJP MP during a debate on a different state’s legislation—suggests a strategic attempt to create a national precedent. If the renaming of Kerala is successfully codified into law, it provides a legislative and political roadmap for other states to seek similar changes. This could trigger a wave of renaming petitions across various Indian states, each seeking to revert to indigenous or linguistically accurate descriptors.
Background and Context
The push for “Keralam” has been a point of discussion in Kerala for years, rooted in the belief that the English term “Kerala” is a simplification of the state’s identity. The 2026 Bill represents the culmination of these regional efforts to align the state’s official legal name with its linguistic reality.
India has a long history of renaming cities and states to remove colonial influences. High-profile examples include the renaming of Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai, and Calcutta to Kolkata. However, those changes were largely focused on urban centers. The current proposals for Kerala and potentially West Bengal represent a shift toward renaming entire administrative states.
In West Bengal, the identity of the state is deeply tied to the Bengali language and culture. The term “Paschim Banga” is already widely used in colloquial speech and local administrative contexts. Formalizing this name would be a symbolic move to prioritize the Bengali language in the highest tiers of official state documentation.
Analysis:
The push for “Keralam” and “Paschim Banga” reflects a broader trend of linguistic and cultural reclamation within Indian state nomenclature. By advocating for the use of local language descriptors—Keralam in Malayalam and Paschim Banga in Bengali—these proposals seek to replace English-derived colonial naming conventions with indigenous terms.
This trend can be analyzed as part of a larger ideological project to “decolonize” the Indian administrative landscape. By shifting the official terminology from English to regional languages, the state reinforces the cultural identity of the populace. However, such moves often intersect with political signaling. By supporting the Kerala bill and suggesting a similar move for Bengal, the BJP MP is aligning the party with regionalist sentiments, potentially appealing to voters who prioritize cultural and linguistic heritage over centralized, English-centric administration.
The strategic timing of the suggestion during the Rajya Sabha debate indicates an attempt to normalize the concept of state-level renaming. By linking the two states, the MP is framing the issue not as an isolated regional request, but as a systemic necessity for the Indian republic.
What to Watch Next
The immediate focus will remain on the progress of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. The passage of this bill will serve as the primary catalyst for any future attempts to rename other states. If the bill clears both houses of Parliament and receives presidential assent, it will establish a clear legal mechanism for the “Paschim Banga” proposal to move from a parliamentary suggestion to a formal bill.
Observers should also monitor the reaction from the West Bengal state government. Renaming a state requires a complex process involving state legislature resolutions and central government approval. Whether the current administration in West Bengal views the “Paschim Banga” proposal as a genuine cultural reclamation or a political maneuver by the BJP will determine if the suggestion gains traction within the state’s own legislative assembly.
Additionally, it will be important to see if other regional parties or MPs from different states begin to propose similar changes for their respective regions, which would indicate the start of a wider national movement toward linguistic renaming.
Conclusion
The proposal to rename West Bengal to Paschim Banga, sparked by the legislative efforts to rename Kerala to Keralam, highlights an ongoing tension between colonial administrative legacies and modern indigenous identity. While the change for West Bengal remains a suggestion at this stage, it underscores a growing political appetite for linguistic authenticity in India’s official structures. As the Kerala bill moves through the legislative process, it may well open the door for a broader re-evaluation of how India’s states are named and identified.
Sources:
NDTV – India News (https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kerala-to-become-keralam-now-bjp-mp-wants-bengal-renamed-paschim-banga-11902197#publisher=newsstand)
Corrections
If you believe this article contains an error, contact Herald Express with the source URL and supporting evidence.
Story synopsis gathered from: NDTV – India News — source
