Two Bengal ministers took oath in Santhali and Hindi,rest in Bengali

Kolkata, May 18 (UNI) As almost all the new ministers in the seventh Left Front ministry in West Bengal took their oath of office and secrecy in Bengali, only two ministers did so differently --taking their oath in Santhali and Hindi, drawing a huge round of applause from the huge crowd here this morning.

As state Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb, who was conducting the entire swearing-in proceding, called new minister of state for Backward Classes Welfare Debolina Hembram on the dias to take her oath, administered by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, she surprised all by taking the oath of office and secrecy in Santhali--her mother tongue.

Ms Hembram (29), elected to the 14th state Assenmbly from Ranibandh (ST) constituency in Bankura district as a CPI-M ticket, joined the new cabinet as one of the 13 new ministers after her name was cleared by the party and the Chief minster.

Soon after she took the oath, Ms Hembram who was also a member in the last assembly, was blessed by the Chief Minister which again drew huge applause from the packed gatheirng.

After Ms Hembram, new RSP legislator from Kalchini (ST) constituency in Jalapiguri district Manohar Tirkey was called in to take the oath which he took in Hindi, creating another exception and drawing another round of applause from the gatheirng. Mr Tirkey has become the Minister of State for Public Works department.

However, all the other 42 ministers, including Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee and his 32 Cabinet colleagues took their oath of office and secrecy in Bengali with Governor in every occasion starting the sentence with the Bengali word ''Ami''...(I AM...) UNI ABA VD RK1435