Future of Bangla
In his letter "Indians honoured"( 23 April), Prof. M. Zahidul Haque has appropriately stated that selection of "Jana gana mana..." by the UNESCO as the world's best national anthem is not only an honour for Indians, but for all Bangla speakers of the globe. Prof. Haque has also requested the Indian government to attach more importance to the expansion and learning of Bangla. But how can it be expected that New Delhi would pay heed to his request and act likewise when the Bengalis of West Bengal and the rest of India are themselves working overtime to shed off their Bangaliyana?
Actually Bengalis of India are victims of a supreme inferiority complex.
Thus it is seen that in all spheres of life, Bengalis are consciously discarding their cultural distinctiveness and imitating the styles of Hindi India and English West. This suicidal trend is being reflected in their dress and food habits, their culture and even vocabulary. The obscenities of Hindi film music and the violence and bloodshed of Bollywood films have knocked out Rabindra Sangeet and the artistic excellence of Ray and found a permanent place in Bengali hearts. Bengalis have participated in a mad race for Hindi-ising and Anglicising its own community and are determined to forget all its Bengaliness.
It is well known that when a community loses its self-respect and becomes indifferent to its own language, culture and tradition, its doom is not far off. Just for this reason, Bengalis in India are heading for a catastrophe. If the Bengalis had really taken pride in their identity and culture, this day would not have arisen.
They choose not to raise their voices when announcements in Bengali are terminated in certain railway stations of West Bengal or when the Metro Railway of Kolkata is hijacked by the Hindi promoters. Bengalis are also shameless enough to mob a rising Bollywood star whilst forgetting the irreparable loss of a legend, Kanika Bandopadhyay, the same day. Despite being termed the sweetest language of the earth by the UNESCO, Indian Bengalis feel ashamed to speak in Bangla. Unless the Bengalis regain their self-respect and learn to become united, the future of the community and their culture stand doomed in West Bengal.
However, the only consolation is that Bangla will not completely vanish from the face of the earth as it will remain alive and well in Bangladesh -- the country of proud, brave and honourable Bengalis who fought against Urdu-imperialism and accorded Bangla its due right and honour in its own soil.
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