British MP opposes Bengali signboard at London railway station

Business tycoon Elon Musk supports the MP

Washington (US) – A railway station in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, recently featured a signboard with its name written in Bengali, sparking controversy. A Member of Parliament (MP) from London took to social media to argue that station signboards should be exclusively in English. The post garnered support from renowned American entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The controversy revolves around Whitechapel railway station. Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, raised objections to the Bengali signboard. His comments sparked mixed reactions, with some supporting the exclusive use of English, while others advocated for bilingual boards, questioning how travellers in countries like Japan or China would navigate without multilingual signage.

🇬🇧 British MP Rupert Lowe opposes Bengali-language signboard at Whitechapel Station – Elon Musk backs him! 🚉🤔

While the British stand firm on English, how many Indians prioritize Indian languages in India? 🇮🇳

Most railway station signboards here are in English! Many cities &… pic.twitter.com/EiITPgrDpU

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) February 10, 2025

The Bengali signboard was installed at Whitechapel station in 2022 to honour the contributions of the Bangladeshi community in East London. The Tower Hamlets Council funded the installation. The area is home to a large Bangladeshi population. The initiative was also welcomed by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Editorial Perspective

If the British care so much about English, how many Indians care about their own native languages ? All railway station boards in India are written in English. Considering that many cities and stations in India still carry British names even after their departure, Indians should perhaps take a lesson from the British.