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**Summary:**
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a two-day public holiday for Chhath Puja. This decision, announced on Hindi Diwas, is aimed at recognizing the significant Hindi-speaking population in the state and their cultural importance, particularly the celebration of Chhath Puja, a major festival for people from Bihar and Jharkhand. The move is seen as a strategic political move ahead of upcoming elections to consolidate the Hindi-speaking vote bank. Besides the holiday announcement, Banerjee highlighted the steps taken by the state government to promote Hindi language and culture, including granting official language status in areas with a significant Hindi-speaking population, establishing a Hindi academy, opening Hindi-medium colleges, and making educational materials available in Hindi.
**News Article:**
**West Bengal Announces Two-Day Holiday for Chhath Puja, a Move Seen as a Pre-Election Overture to Hindi Speakers**
**Kolkata:** In a move widely interpreted as a significant political strategy ahead of upcoming elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a two-day public holiday for Chhath Puja, a major festival celebrated by people from Bihar and Jharkhand. The announcement, coinciding with Hindi Diwas, is seen as a direct appeal to the state’s substantial Hindi-speaking population.
“Respecting the sentiments of the Hindi-speaking community, the state government has declared a two-day public holiday for Chhath Puja,” Banerjee stated in a post on X. She also extended her greetings to all Hindi speakers and highlighted the various initiatives taken by her government to promote Hindi language and culture in West Bengal.
These initiatives include granting official language status to Hindi in areas where Hindi speakers constitute over 10% of the population. The state has also established a Hindi academy, opened Hindi-medium colleges in areas like Howrah, Banarhat and Naxalbari, introduced Hindi postgraduate courses in several colleges, and made higher secondary question papers available in Hindi. Furthermore, students in Rabindra Mukta Vidyalaya can now take their secondary examinations in Hindi.
The decision to grant a holiday for Chhath Puja is particularly significant, as the festival holds immense cultural importance for people from Bihar and Jharkhand, many of whom reside and work in West Bengal. Sources say the move is a calculated effort to win over the critical Hindi-speaking vote bank, whose support could prove decisive in the upcoming elections.
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