Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Spoke Sylheti: Dr Rajdeep Roy Condemns “Bangladeshi Language” Remark

As the controversy over Amit Malviya’s reference to Sylheti as a “Bangladeshi language” continues to brew, former BJP MP from Silchar, Dr Rajdeep Roy, has added his voice to the growing outrage, condemning the remark and offering a strong defence of the Sylheti language and identity. In a detailed social media post, Dr Roy asserted that Sylheti is not only an integral part of Indian heritage but also predates the modern nations of both Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Dr Roy wrote, “Sylheti is far older than the modern state of Bangladesh—or even East Pakistan. It transcends the borders and histories of today’s political entities.” His comment comes in response to BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya’s controversial clarification, where Malviya referred to Sylheti as a Bangladeshi dialect that is “incomprehensible” to Indian Bengalis.

The former MP from Silchar challenged such characterisations, calling them “inaccurate, deeply unfortunate, and condemnable.” He cited several historical examples to prove that Sylheti has long been a part of India’s linguistic and cultural landscape.

To highlight the spiritual and historical significance of Sylheti, Dr Roy mentioned Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a revered saint in Bengal’s religious history and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, as being Sylheti by origin. “There are treatises indicating he often used Sylheti during informal conversations with his disciples in Nabadwip,” Dr Roy noted.

He also mentioned Gurusaday Dutta, the first Indian to top the British-dominated ICS exam, and founder of the Bratachari movement, as a proud Sylheti from Karimganj. Additionally, Bipin Chandra Pal, one of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio and a key figure in India’s Swadeshi movement, also had Sylheti as his mother tongue.

Dr Roy pointed out that even today, multiple MPs and state legislators in Assam and Tripura natively speak Sylheti. “The dialect is the lingua franca of Barak Valley,” he added, noting that it is widely used not just among Bengalis but also by other communities in the region.

According to him, over 70 lakh people across Barak Valley, parts of Meghalaya, and Tripura speak Sylheti. “They are proud Indians and Bengalis. To dismiss their language as something foreign or non-Bengali is to rub salt in the wounds of a people already scarred by Partition,” Dr Roy wrote.

His statement stood out for its balanced yet firm tone, especially given that it came from a leader within the BJP. At a time when his party colleague’s comments have been criticised for their divisiveness, Dr Roy’s post served to heal rather than provoke. “Such remarks can lead to unnecessary alienation and must be condemned,” he concluded.

Dr Roy ended with a strong personal note of identity: “Proud to be a Sylheti and an Indian Bengali from Assam.”

It should be noted that in his post, Dr Rajdeep Roy did not explicitly mention the name of Amit Malviya. He focused solely on condemning the “Bangladeshi language” remark and defending the cultural and historical significance of the Sylheti language.

His post is being widely shared, especially among Barak Valley residents, many of whom see it as a much-needed voice of reason amid a debate that has hurt sentiments and raised questions of belonging.

The debate began with the Delhi Police issuing a letter seeking a translator for “Bangladeshi language” to translate documents recovered from individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants. The wording of the letter stirred controversy, as it was perceived to label Bengali—a constitutionally recognised Indian language—as foreign, offending Bengali-speaking communities across the country.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly condemned the phrasing, calling it unconstitutional and insulting. In response, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya attempted to clarify the matter by stating that the term referred to linguistic patterns specific to Bangladesh. However, in doing so, he implied that Sylheti—a dialect spoken by many in India—is a foreign language, which sparked a fresh wave of criticism, particularly from the Barak Valley.