Sick of coming last, India's state of West Bengal could soon change name to 'Bongo'

[RisingShiningSuperpower]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...indias-state-of-west-bengal-could-soon-chang/

Sick of coming last, India's state of West Bengal could soon change name to 'Bongo'
The Indian state of West Bengal could soon be known as “Bongo”, following a decision by its cabinet on Tuesday.

Officials there have voiced frustrations at West Bengal being placed last alphabetically in India’s inter-state parliamentary discussions, by which time many legislators have left or lost interest, and also say the name is a relic of India’s British colonial legacy.

“Cabinet decided to change the name of West Bengal, it will be either Bangla or Bongo. In English it will be Bengal,” said Partha Chatterjee, a state minister, following the cabinet meeting.

It comes after Mamata Banerjee, the state’s chief minister, complained last month that West Bengal representatives “get to speak only at the fag end of any function when most of the audience has left”.

“Our madam [Banerjee] is doing so much homework to present the case of West Bengal, but who is there to hear her?” a bureaucrat told India Today.

Supporters of the change also point out that today Bangladesh - the former “East” Bengal - is a separate country anyway, making the prefix “West” largely redundant.

Bengal was divided under the British Raj prior to Partition, when East Bengal joined the nascent Pakistan, and West Bengal became part of India.

East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in 1956, and became the independent nation of Bangladesh following its civil war with western Pakistan in 1971.

While the state will now be referred to as simply “Bengal” in English, its official name in Bengali will be either Bangla or Bongo.

Bongo is a term for the region derived from the Bengali language.

It has no connection to the racist pejorative term “Bongo Bongo land”, which Ukip’s MEP Godfrey Bloom was heavily condemned for using while discussing Britain’s foreign aid spending on poor countries in 2013.

West Bengal has already changed the name of its capital city from Calcutta to Kolkata. The name change will be sent to India’s national parliament after a special state assembly session.

 

[ebrahym]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...indias-state-of-west-bengal-could-soon-chang/

Sick of coming last, India's state of West Bengal could soon change name to 'Bongo'
The Indian state of West Bengal could soon be known as “Bongo”, following a decision by its cabinet on Tuesday.

Officials there have voiced frustrations at West Bengal being placed last alphabetically in India’s inter-state parliamentary discussions, by which time many legislators have left or lost interest, and also say the name is a relic of India’s British colonial legacy.

“Cabinet decided to change the name of West Bengal, it will be either Bangla or Bongo. In English it will be Bengal,” said Partha Chatterjee, a state minister, following the cabinet meeting.

It comes after Mamata Banerjee, the state’s chief minister, complained last month that West Bengal representatives “get to speak only at the fag end of any function when most of the audience has left”.

“Our madam [Banerjee] is doing so much homework to present the case of West Bengal, but who is there to hear her?” a bureaucrat told India Today.

Supporters of the change also point out that today Bangladesh - the former “East” Bengal - is a separate country anyway, making the prefix “West” largely redundant.

Bengal was divided under the British Raj prior to Partition, when East Bengal joined the nascent Pakistan, and West Bengal became part of India.

East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in 1956, and became the independent nation of Bangladesh following its civil war with western Pakistan in 1971.

While the state will now be referred to as simply “Bengal” in English, its official name in Bengali will be either Bangla or Bongo.

Bongo is a term for the region derived from the Bengali language.

It has no connection to the racist pejorative term “Bongo Bongo land”, which Ukip’s MEP Godfrey Bloom was heavily condemned for using while discussing Britain’s foreign aid spending on poor countries in 2013.

West Bengal has already changed the name of its capital city from Calcutta to Kolkata. The name change will be sent to India’s national parliament after a special state assembly session.

 

[Crixus]

Its a great reasoning to change the name of state

 

[pher]

salute to india, you never failed to amuse the world. After several rounds of such change, you bet all india states will begin with aaa..............

 

[Aero]

@pher @a_b

It will be either Bangla or Bongo

A lot of people are against Bongo but WB govt. is yet to decide on name.

http://www.firstpost.com/india/bang...the-state-2930062.html?utm_source=fp_internal

 

[dray]

This is an old issue, there is no East Bengal now to justify a name like West Bengal. Just 'Bengal' or 'Bangla' or 'Bongo / Banga' is more appropriate. But only if the trolls could understood the historical perspective.

 

[ebrahym]

@pher @a_b

It will be either Bangla or Bongo

A lot of people are against Bongo but WB govt. is yet to decide on name.

http://www.firstpost.com/india/bang...the-state-2930062.html?utm_source=fp_internal

This is an old issue, there is no East Bengal now to justify a name like West Bengal. Just 'Bengal' or 'Bangla' or 'Bongo / Banga' is more appropriate. But only if the trolls could understood the historical perspective.

no one is trolling
not only name sounds funny but the reason as well
we changed the name of a province because it sounded "funny"
but u r changing just to avoid last place

 

[jetray]

This is an old issue, there is no East Bengal now to justify a name like West Bengal. Just 'Bengal' or 'Bangla' or 'Bongo / Banga' is more appropriate. But only if the trolls could understood the historical perspective.

Be ready for war with bangladesh, this time it will be fought over name. Guess we can have pakistan as umpire.

 

[Moon]

Be ready for war with bangladesh, this time it will be fought over name. Guess we can have pakistan as umpire.

Nope, sorry; no-can do.
We have our own wars to fight.
Personally I prefer Bangla over Bongo (kinda sounds funny, but who am I to judge? ).
Myanmar can be the umpire though.

 

[Śakra]

This is a bongo

 

[ifesvr]

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/beng...-change-proposed-by-mamata-government-1439286
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-Bengal-Bangla-Banga/articleshow/53504353.cms
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ongress-bengal-kokata-bengali-people-2950354/

None of the Indian websites speak of this proposed "Bongo". Its Bangla or Banga. The state already uses the alternative Bengali word for West Bengal "Paschimbanga" since 2011. In all probability it will be Banga.
This article from UK seems just for defaming, smartly referring in the end to the racist connotation the word bongo has there.

It has no connection to the racist pejorative term “Bongo Bongo land”, which Ukip’s MEP Godfrey Bloom was heavily condemned for using while discussing Britain’s foreign aid spending on poor countries in 2013.

 

[dray]

no one is trolling
not only name sounds funny but the reason as well
we changed the name of a province because it sounded "funny"
but u r changing just to avoid last place

In fact the 'last place' thingy is a very very minor reason. The real reason, and the real demand for a name change is the one I mentioned above. It is about leaving the baggage of a bitter phase of history and moving on. 'West' in 'Bengal' is not relevant today without an 'East Bengal'.

This is a bongo

Actually the spelling is 'Banga' with a pronunciation that you find in our national anthem....

The name could be 'Bangla' also (Bangapradesh and Bangabhumi were also considered), 'Bengal' will also remain, just 'west' will be removed.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Officials there have voiced frustrations at West Bengal being placed last alphabetically in India’s inter-state parliamentary discussions, by which time many legislators have left or lost interest, and also say the name is a relic of India’s British colonial legacy..

This is the first time I am hearing this justifcation for changing WB's name, very strange that the Telegraph would make these sort of claims and I am absolutely baffled by the inclusion of this:

It has no connection to the racist pejorative term “Bongo Bongo land”, which Ukip’s MEP Godfrey Bloom was heavily condemned for using while discussing Britain’s foreign aid spending on poor countries in 2013.

This has absolutely no relation to India but is a highly inflammatory term in the UK.


Just a very odd article with questionable motives.


@anant_s @Levina @PARIKRAMA @Star Wars @noksss @dadeechi @nair @Echo_419 @Stephen Cohen @Local_Legend @Parul @ito @hellfire

 

[dadeechi]

This is the first time I am hearing this justifcation for changing WB's name, very strange that the Telegraph would make these sort of claims and I am absolutely baffaled by the inclusion of this:


This has absolutely no relation to India but is a highly inflammatory term in the UK.


Just a very odd article with questionable motives.


@anant_s @Levina @PARIKRAMA @Star Wars @noksss @dadeechi @nair @Echo_419 @Stephen Cohen @Local_Legend @Parul @ito @hellfire

The demand has been there for sometime but the name would be Vanga (or Banga as pronounced in Bengali)

 

[Abingdonboy]

The demand has been there for sometime but the name would be Vanga (or Banga as pronounced in Bengali)

Well if that's true then it entirely invalidates this article as WB would remain last alphabetically