Won't waste space: Bengal govt may drop Mamata's books from state-run libraries
Mamata Banerjee's troubles since the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections show no signs of easing, as her books have now come under the spotlight of
Mamata Banerjee's troubles since the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections show no signs of easing, as her books have now come under the spotlight of the West Bengal government. Gouri Shankar Ghosh, West Bengal's minister of Library Services, has indicated that books written by the former chief minister may be removed from state-run libraries as part of a broader review of book collections. Read Full Story Speaking to AajTak Bangla, Ghosh said libraries should primarily contain books that contribute to knowledge, intellectual development and nationalist thought. He remarked that books such as Epang Opang Jhapang would not have a place in government-supported libraries, arguing that library space should be reserved for literature that promotes learning and the development of young minds.
'UNNECESSARY BOOKS WILL BE REMOVED' "People visit libraries to acquire knowledge. Books that help in gaining knowledge will remain. Unnecessary books will be removed," the minister said. He added that works by literary and spiritual icons such as Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Swami Vivekananda, along with biographies of historical figures including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharana Pratap, would be available in libraries. The remarks come a year after the previous Trinamool Congress government directed schools across the state to include books authored by Mamata Banerjee in their libraries. In June 2025, the state government approved a list of 515 books for school libraries, of which nearly 90 were written by Banerjee.
Each secondary and higher secondary school was reportedly allocated Rs 1 lakh for the purchase of books. WHY EPANG OPANG JHAPANG IS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONTROVERSY The phrase Epang Opang Jhapang has long been a subject of political debate in West Bengal. Popularly associated with a poem written by Mamata Banerjee, the phrase has frequently been used by BJP leaders to criticise her literary work. The expression itself does not have a formal dictionary meaning in Bengali and is often described as a playful or nonsensical phrase. The controversy over Banerjee's writings gained national attention in 2022 when she received the Bangla Akademi Award for her poetry collection Kabita Bitan.
Critics at the time questioned the literary merit of some of her poems, including those featuring phrases such as Epang Opang Jhapang. Her supporters though, have argued that such compositions belong to the tradition of nonsense poetry, a recognised literary form in Bengali literature. Ends With inputs from Subhankar Mitra
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