West Bengal name change to "Bangla" and Bangladesh's national anthem dilemma

[bongbang]

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday (August 29) passed a resolution changing the name of the State to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali.
http://www.banglanews24.com/english...esolution-for-West-Bengals-name-change-passed

It directly contradicts with the national anthem of Bangladesh.
The national anthem of Bangladesh written by Rabindranath Tagore, Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)

Lyrics as follows
Bengali script Transliteration Literal English translation
আমার সোনার বাংলা

আমার সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি।

চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ,
তোমার বাতাস
আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি।

ও মা,
ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে
ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে
মরি হায়, হায় রে
ও মা,
অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা ক্ষেতে,
আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।।

কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো,
কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,
কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ
বটের মূলে,
নদীর কূলে কূলে।

মা, তোর মুখের বাণী
আমার কানে লাগে
সুধার মতো-

মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে
আমি নয়ন
ও মা আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি
সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি।

Amar Sonar Bangla

Amar sonar Bangla
Ami tomay bhalôbashi

Chirôdin tomar akash,
Tomar batas,
Amar prane bajay bãshi.

O ma,
Phagune tor amer bône
Ghrane pagôl kôre,
Môri hay, hay re,
O ma,
Ôghrane tor bhôra khete
Ami ki dekhechhi môdhur hasi.

Ki shobha, ki chhaya go,
Ki snehô, ki maya go,
Ki ãchôl bichhayechhô
Bôter mule,
Nôdir kule kule.

Ma, tor mukher bani
Amar kane lage
Sudhar môto-

Ma tor bôdôn khani môlin hôle
ami nôyôn
o ma ami nôyôn jôle bhasi
sonar Bangla,
ami tomay bhalôbashi!

My Golden Bengal

My golden Bengal,
I love you.

Forever your skies,
Your air set my heart in tune
As if it were a flute.

In spring, O mother
The fragrance from your mango groves
Makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!
In autumn, O mother
In the full blossomed paddy fields
I have seen spread all over sweet smiles.

What beauty, what shades,
What affection, what tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread
At the feet of banyan trees
And along the bank of every river

Oh mother mine, words from your lips
Are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!

If sadness, O mother
Casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!
Golden Bengal,
I love you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Sonar_Bangla


Nowhere in the song, it told about Bangladesh, but talked about Golden Bengal or Sonar Bangla.
The dilemma is here, we Bangladeshis will use this song worldwide and in Bangladesh for official purposes. But will we be praising our country land or a distinct land not inside Bangladesh? This will be foolish if we continue with this song and it will divert sizable amount of peer and our efforts which is not our country. Or will we be parsing to acquire Bangla which is not now in our boundary but will devote ourselves day and night to acquire it in future?

Here is an example of a Polish girl who fell in love of Bangladesh's national anthem. She fell in too much love with it and devoted herself to study Bengali language and culture more. Which later turned her into Hindu (Previously Catholic) and diverted her to learn Indian culture.

Also West Bengal changing the name to "Bangla" will taint the popular slogan of Bangladeshis "Joy Bangla". Which is another issue.

In this context its high time to switch the national anthem and choose something which reflects Bangladesh more. It will minimize confusion and will be effective to shut many mouths inside and outside the country who mocks Bangladesh for various reasons for the present one.

Bangladesh can choose from the existing songs or introduce a new one by inviting a countrywide competition. Criteria will be more Bangladesh's reflection and put together by Bangladeshi nationalists.

Im proposing one, "Ekti Bangladesh"

It means, Bangladesh is one and its of the enlightened people.

Singer: Sabina Yasmin one of the top singer of Bangladesh, won 12 national film awards and Ekushey Padak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Yasmin
Lyricist: Nazrul Islam Babu. Freedom fighter and won 1991 film award as best lyricist.
http://www.shironaam.com/গীতিকার-নজরুল-ইসলাম-বাবু/
Composer: Ajit Roy. One of the organizer of Shwadhin Bangla Betar during liberation war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Roy

 

[Species]

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday (August 29) passed a resolution changing the name of the State to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali.
http://www.banglanews24.com/english...esolution-for-West-Bengals-name-change-passed

It directly contradicts with the national anthem of Bangladesh.
The national anthem of Bangladesh written by Rabindranath Tagore, Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)

Lyrics as follows
Bengali script Transliteration Literal English translation
আমার সোনার বাংলা

আমার সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি।

চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ,
তোমার বাতাস
আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি।

ও মা,
ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে
ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে
মরি হায়, হায় রে
ও মা,
অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা ক্ষেতে,
আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।।

কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো,
কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,
কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ
বটের মূলে,
নদীর কূলে কূলে।

মা, তোর মুখের বাণী
আমার কানে লাগে
সুধার মতো-

মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে
আমি নয়ন
ও মা আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি
সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি।

Amar Sonar Bangla

Amar sonar Bangla
Ami tomay bhalôbashi

Chirôdin tomar akash,
Tomar batas,
Amar prane bajay bãshi.

O ma,
Phagune tor amer bône
Ghrane pagôl kôre,
Môri hay, hay re,
O ma,
Ôghrane tor bhôra khete
Ami ki dekhechhi môdhur hasi.

Ki shobha, ki chhaya go,
Ki snehô, ki maya go,
Ki ãchôl bichhayechhô
Bôter mule,
Nôdir kule kule.

Ma, tor mukher bani
Amar kane lage
Sudhar môto-

Ma tor bôdôn khani môlin hôle
ami nôyôn
o ma ami nôyôn jôle bhasi
sonar Bangla,
ami tomay bhalôbashi!

My Golden Bengal

My golden Bengal,
I love you.

Forever your skies,
Your air set my heart in tune
As if it were a flute.

In spring, O mother
The fragrance from your mango groves
Makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!
In autumn, O mother
In the full blossomed paddy fields
I have seen spread all over sweet smiles.

What beauty, what shades,
What affection, what tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread
At the feet of banyan trees
And along the bank of every river

Oh mother mine, words from your lips
Are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!

If sadness, O mother
Casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!
Golden Bengal,
I love you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Sonar_Bangla


Nowhere in the song, it told about Bangladesh, but talked about Golden Bengal or Sonar Bangla.
The dilemma is here, we Bangladeshis will use this song worldwide and in Bangladesh for official purposes. But will we be praising our country land or a distinct land not inside Bangladesh? This will be foolish if we continue with this song and it will divert sizable amount of peer and our efforts which is not our country. Or will we be parsing to acquire Bangla which is not now in our boundary but will devote ourselves day and night to acquire it in future?

Here is an example of a Polish girl who fell in love of Bangladesh's national anthem. She fell in too much love with it and devoted herself to study Bengali language and culture more. Which later turned her into Hindu (Previously Catholic) and diverted her to learn Indian culture.

Also West Bengal changing the name to "Bangla" will taint the popular slogan of Bangladeshis "Joy Bangla". Which is another issue.

In this context its high time to switch the national anthem and choose something which reflects Bangladesh more. It will minimize confusion and will be effective to shut many mouths inside and outside the country who mocks Bangladesh for various reasons for the present one.

Bangladesh can choose from the existing songs or introduce a new one by inviting a countrywide competition. Criteria will be more Bangladesh's reflection and put together by Bangladeshi nationalists.

Im proposing one, "Ekti Bangladesh"

Singer: Sabina Yasmin one of the top singer of Bangladesh, won 12 national film awards and Ekushey Padak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Yasmin
Lyricist: Nazrul Islam Babu. Freedom fighter and won 1991 film award as best lyricist.
http://www.shironaam.com/গীতিকার-নজরুল-ইসলাম-বাবু/
Composer: Ajit Roy. One of the organizer of Shwadhin Bangla Betar during liberation war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Roy

People hardly knows about West Bengal outside India so the name change wouldn't make any substantial effect. Bangladeshis are commonly known as Bengalis all over the world, so Bangla/Bengali is always associated with Bangladesh.

 

[kobiraaz]

No problem at all. Rather it is one step forward for the merging of two BangIa. I mean by this name changing West Bengalis chose to use the term " from Bangla " like we Bangladeshis are. In short they preferred to adopt our identity over the existing ones.

 

[Anubis]

It won't be a problem...as long as we know what we mean when we sing the anthem it's all fine....and Shirshendu in his book Bangaler America Dorshon wrote(after he saw Welcome written in Bangla in the WTC/or was it ESB..can't remember) that the language got the recognition because of us who fought for the language and a country based on the linguistic identity....they know that then world knows who the actual Bengalis are.

Note: The song is about Shonar Bangla....we are Shonar Bangla...they are Bronze er Bangla(Maybe Silver at best).

 

[livingdead]

lol... our national anthem has sind(a province of pakistan) in it...
this is a good opportunity to change your national anthem though.. some bd people are not happy with tagore's version.

 

[Nilgiri]

You propitiate a Hindu god every time you say a day of the week in Bengali. If that does not rankle majority Bangladeshis....then why should use of name "Bangla" in the anthem matter?

Do a referendum if you really care about it that much.

 

[bluesky]

আমার সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি।

চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ,
তোমার বাতাস
আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি।

I will now say a few words quite different from the other sayings.

1) This Shonar Bangla was written as a poem, and not as a song.
2) A poem has no melody. So, it did not have a melody.
3) The Kolkata based BAL leaders in 1971 chose this poem to be the National Anthem of Bangladesh instead of another song 'Dhonodhyanye pushpe bhora---------' written by Bibhutibhushan Bannerjy.
4) A melody was needed for Shonar Bangla to make it a song and to be sung.
5) A BAL Muslim Buddhijibi, whose name I cannot recall, claimed that he had created the tune for this poem. This is the tune we sing the poem.
6) One of my intellectual Bangladeshi friends in Japan told me that this melody was stolen from a Baishnab song of a 1955 film named 'Rai Komol' whose actors are Uttam Kumar and Kaberi Bosu.
7) The information surprised me. I opened the Internet to watch that one of the Baishnab songs has indeed the same tune as that of Shonar Bangla.
8) I further checked and found that some Gagan Harkara a contemporary of Rabindranathe Thakur had created the melody of that film song and it was superimposed on Shonar Bangla during 1971 by the BAL leaders, knowingly or unknowingly.

Will you guys watch the movie and check the authenticity of my statement?
.

 

[Michael Corleone]

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday (August 29) passed a resolution changing the name of the State to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali.
http://www.banglanews24.com/english...esolution-for-West-Bengals-name-change-passed

It directly contradicts with the national anthem of Bangladesh.
The national anthem of Bangladesh written by Rabindranath Tagore, Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)

Lyrics as follows
Bengali script Transliteration Literal English translation
আমার সোনার বাংলা

আমার সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি।

চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ,
তোমার বাতাস
আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি।

ও মা,
ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে
ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে
মরি হায়, হায় রে
ও মা,
অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা ক্ষেতে,
আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।।

কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো,
কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,
কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ
বটের মূলে,
নদীর কূলে কূলে।

মা, তোর মুখের বাণী
আমার কানে লাগে
সুধার মতো-

মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে
আমি নয়ন
ও মা আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি
সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি।

Amar Sonar Bangla

Amar sonar Bangla
Ami tomay bhalôbashi

Chirôdin tomar akash,
Tomar batas,
Amar prane bajay bãshi.

O ma,
Phagune tor amer bône
Ghrane pagôl kôre,
Môri hay, hay re,
O ma,
Ôghrane tor bhôra khete
Ami ki dekhechhi môdhur hasi.

Ki shobha, ki chhaya go,
Ki snehô, ki maya go,
Ki ãchôl bichhayechhô
Bôter mule,
Nôdir kule kule.

Ma, tor mukher bani
Amar kane lage
Sudhar môto-

Ma tor bôdôn khani môlin hôle
ami nôyôn
o ma ami nôyôn jôle bhasi
sonar Bangla,
ami tomay bhalôbashi!

My Golden Bengal

My golden Bengal,
I love you.

Forever your skies,
Your air set my heart in tune
As if it were a flute.

In spring, O mother
The fragrance from your mango groves
Makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!
In autumn, O mother
In the full blossomed paddy fields
I have seen spread all over sweet smiles.

What beauty, what shades,
What affection, what tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread
At the feet of banyan trees
And along the bank of every river

Oh mother mine, words from your lips
Are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!

If sadness, O mother
Casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!
Golden Bengal,
I love you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Sonar_Bangla


Nowhere in the song, it told about Bangladesh, but talked about Golden Bengal or Sonar Bangla.
The dilemma is here, we Bangladeshis will use this song worldwide and in Bangladesh for official purposes. But will we be praising our country land or a distinct land not inside Bangladesh? This will be foolish if we continue with this song and it will divert sizable amount of peer and our efforts which is not our country. Or will we be parsing to acquire Bangla which is not now in our boundary but will devote ourselves day and night to acquire it in future?

Here is an example of a Polish girl who fell in love of Bangladesh's national anthem. She fell in too much love with it and devoted herself to study Bengali language and culture more. Which later turned her into Hindu (Previously Catholic) and diverted her to learn Indian culture.

Also West Bengal changing the name to "Bangla" will taint the popular slogan of Bangladeshis "Joy Bangla". Which is another issue.

In this context its high time to switch the national anthem and choose something which reflects Bangladesh more. It will minimize confusion and will be effective to shut many mouths inside and outside the country who mocks Bangladesh for various reasons for the present one.

Bangladesh can choose from the existing songs or introduce a new one by inviting a countrywide competition. Criteria will be more Bangladesh's reflection and put together by Bangladeshi nationalists.

Im proposing one, "Ekti Bangladesh"

It means, Bangladesh is one and its of the enlightened people.

Singer: Sabina Yasmin one of the top singer of Bangladesh, won 12 national film awards and Ekushey Padak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Yasmin
Lyricist: Nazrul Islam Babu. Freedom fighter and won 1991 film award as best lyricist.
http://www.shironaam.com/গীতিকার-নজরুল-ইসলাম-বাবু/
Composer: Ajit Roy. One of the organizer of Shwadhin Bangla Betar during liberation war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Roy

But do you really want to sing another national anthem just because your neighbor changed her name to Bengal? I have sang that song every morning in Christian school in Bangladesh in my childhood. I can't associate any other song as beautiful as this for national anthem. West Bengal can change their name again. We don't have to accommodate to their wishes.


I feel like Bangladesh is losing or confused with its identity. I wildfire sure will only sing this song as national anthem if I have to. Else ma salama bangladesh.

 

[Riyad]

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday (August 29) passed a resolution changing the name of the State to Bengal in English and Bangla in Bengali.
http://www.banglanews24.com/english...esolution-for-West-Bengals-name-change-passed

It directly contradicts with the national anthem of Bangladesh.
The national anthem of Bangladesh written by Rabindranath Tagore, Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal)

Lyrics as follows
Bengali script Transliteration Literal English translation
আমার সোনার বাংলা

আমার সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি।

চিরদিন তোমার আকাশ,
তোমার বাতাস
আমার প্রাণে বাজায় বাঁশি।

ও মা,
ফাগুনে তোর আমের বনে
ঘ্রাণে পাগল করে
মরি হায়, হায় রে
ও মা,
অঘ্রানে তোর ভরা ক্ষেতে,
আমি কী দেখেছি মধুর হাসি।।

কী শোভা, কী ছায়া গো,
কী স্নেহ, কী মায়া গো,
কী আঁচল বিছায়েছ
বটের মূলে,
নদীর কূলে কূলে।

মা, তোর মুখের বাণী
আমার কানে লাগে
সুধার মতো-

মা তোর বদন খানি মলিন হলে
আমি নয়ন
ও মা আমি নয়ন জলে ভাসি
সোনার বাংলা,
আমি তোমায় ভালবাসি।

Amar Sonar Bangla

Amar sonar Bangla
Ami tomay bhalôbashi

Chirôdin tomar akash,
Tomar batas,
Amar prane bajay bãshi.

O ma,
Phagune tor amer bône
Ghrane pagôl kôre,
Môri hay, hay re,
O ma,
Ôghrane tor bhôra khete
Ami ki dekhechhi môdhur hasi.

Ki shobha, ki chhaya go,
Ki snehô, ki maya go,
Ki ãchôl bichhayechhô
Bôter mule,
Nôdir kule kule.

Ma, tor mukher bani
Amar kane lage
Sudhar môto-

Ma tor bôdôn khani môlin hôle
ami nôyôn
o ma ami nôyôn jôle bhasi
sonar Bangla,
ami tomay bhalôbashi!

My Golden Bengal

My golden Bengal,
I love you.

Forever your skies,
Your air set my heart in tune
As if it were a flute.

In spring, O mother
The fragrance from your mango groves
Makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!
In autumn, O mother
In the full blossomed paddy fields
I have seen spread all over sweet smiles.

What beauty, what shades,
What affection, what tenderness!
What a quilt have you spread
At the feet of banyan trees
And along the bank of every river

Oh mother mine, words from your lips
Are like nectar to my ears.
Ah, what a thrill!

If sadness, O mother
Casts a gloom on your face,
My eyes are filled with tears!
Golden Bengal,
I love you.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amar_Sonar_Bangla


Nowhere in the song, it told about Bangladesh, but talked about Golden Bengal or Sonar Bangla.
The dilemma is here, we Bangladeshis will use this song worldwide and in Bangladesh for official purposes. But will we be praising our country land or a distinct land not inside Bangladesh? This will be foolish if we continue with this song and it will divert sizable amount of peer and our efforts which is not our country. Or will we be parsing to acquire Bangla which is not now in our boundary but will devote ourselves day and night to acquire it in future?

Here is an example of a Polish girl who fell in love of Bangladesh's national anthem. She fell in too much love with it and devoted herself to study Bengali language and culture more. Which later turned her into Hindu (Previously Catholic) and diverted her to learn Indian culture.

Also West Bengal changing the name to "Bangla" will taint the popular slogan of Bangladeshis "Joy Bangla". Which is another issue.

In this context its high time to switch the national anthem and choose something which reflects Bangladesh more. It will minimize confusion and will be effective to shut many mouths inside and outside the country who mocks Bangladesh for various reasons for the present one.

Bangladesh can choose from the existing songs or introduce a new one by inviting a countrywide competition. Criteria will be more Bangladesh's reflection and put together by Bangladeshi nationalists.

Im proposing one, "Ekti Bangladesh"

It means, Bangladesh is one and its of the enlightened people.

Singer: Sabina Yasmin one of the top singer of Bangladesh, won 12 national film awards and Ekushey Padak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Yasmin
Lyricist: Nazrul Islam Babu. Freedom fighter and won 1991 film award as best lyricist.
http://www.shironaam.com/গীতিকার-নজরুল-ইসলাম-বাবু/
Composer: Ajit Roy. One of the organizer of Shwadhin Bangla Betar during liberation war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Roy

This is almost blasphemous and you may be termed as Razakar if you suggest another anthem. Amar Sonar Bangla is already so ingrained to Bangladeshi identity that no other song can replace it for thousand years. The basic theme of the song is ONE Bengal. Bangladesh picked this anthem because she rejects the partition of Bengal. So she picked the song which was written as a poem to protest Bengal's partition. Many Bangladeshis have roots in West Bengal and vise versa. If West Bengal changes its name to Bengal and Bangla its their identity problem , not for Bangladeshis.

They will face problem, not Bangladeshis.

 

[Anubis]

I will now say a few words quite different from the other sayings.

1) This Shonar Bangla was written as a poem, and not as a song.
2) A poem has no melody. So, it did not have a melody.
3) The Kolkata based BAL leaders in 1971 chose this poem to be the National Anthem of Bangladesh instead of another song 'Dhonodhyanye pushpe bhora---------' written by Bibhutibhushan Bannerjy.
4) A melody was needed for Shonar Bangla to make it a song and to be sung.
5) A BAL Muslim Buddhijibi, whose name I cannot recall, claimed that he had created the tune for this poem. This is the tune we sing the poem.
6) One of my intellectual Bangladeshi friends in Japan told me that this melody was stolen from a Baishnab song of a 1955 film named 'Rai Komol' whose actors are Uttam Kumar and Kaberi Bosu.
7) The information surprised me. I opened the Internet to watch that one of the Baishnab songs has indeed the same tune as that of Shonar Bangla.
8) I further checked and found that some Gagan Harkara a contemporary of Rabindranathe Thakur had created the melody of that film song and it was superimposed on Shonar Bangla during 1971 by the BAL leaders, knowingly or unknowingly.

Will you guys watch the movie and check the authenticity of my statement?
.

Rabindranath set a melody for it...it was not from a movie and it was not made by awamileague...Gogon Horkora's kothay pabe tare...this is where tagore took it from.

 

[livingdead]

No problem at all. Rather it is one step forward for the merging of two BangIa. I mean by this name changing West Bengalis chose to use the term " from Bangla " like we Bangladeshis are. In short they preferred to adopt our identity over the existing ones.

inside india, wb people are called bengali... not west bengali(and bangladeshis are called.. 'bangladeshis' ) there is no change in identity... its a cheap tactic to get votes by changing names... of cities or states..
outside india they will be identified as indian... so there is no dilution to your identity.

 

[Indika]

there are lot of things to worry about , name or national anthem should be last thing on earth ppl should worry about.

Note: The song is about Shonar Bangla....we are Shonar Bangla...they are Bronze er Bangla(Maybe Silver at best).

shonar bangla, original 25 carat.....

 

[Riyad]

inside india, wb people are called bengali... not west bengali(and bangladeshis are called.. 'bangladeshis' ) there is no change in identity... its a cheap tactic to get votes by changing names... of cities or states..
outside india they will be identified as indian... so there is no dilution to your identity.

I have to agree with you. West Bengalis also don't call us Bengali. They call us Bangladeshis. 'You are not Bengali, you are Bangladeshi' is the typical reply of a West Bengali. They think Bengalis are Indians and a Bengali who is not Indian is not 'true' Bengali but Bangladeshi. They have xenophobia against the term 'Bangladeshi' as it poses a threat to their own identity. Most of them are from Bangladesh who settled in West Bengal due to partition, genocide 71, religious persecution etc. So their old wounds get fresh again when they hear the name 'Bangladesh' as it was the land they originally belong to but had to leave due to bloody history. Thats why you will see most West Bengalis try to avoid Bangladesh topics.

West Bengal is small state of India. It would have been even smaller if some parts of Bihar was not included in West Bengal. Original Western part of Bengal is nothing but an extension of Bangladesh.

 

[kobiraaz]

The folk Bengali music in Bangladesh is richer than Bangal, The Bengali cuisine in Bangladesh is still dominated by Rice and Fish, Bengali occasions are observed louder in Bangladesh. We were behind in literature during colonial era which is at par right now. Bangladeshis are the true Bengalis or the Greater Bengalis right now and Indian Bangals are not in a position to determine whether we are Bangali or Bangladeshi.

 

[livingdead]

I have to agree with you. West Bengalis also don't call us Bengali. They call us Bangladeshis. 'You are not Bengali, you are Bangladeshi' is the typical reply of a West Bengali. They think Bengalis are Indians and a Bengali who is not Indian is not 'true' Bengali but Bangladeshi. They have xenophobia against the term 'Bangladeshi' as it poses a threat to their own identity. Most of them are from Bangladesh who settled in West Bengal due to partition, genocide 71, religious persecution etc. So their old wounds get fresh again when they hear the name 'Bangladesh' as it was the land they originally belong to but had to leave due to bloody history. Thats why you will see most West Bengalis try to avoid Bangladesh topics.

West Bengal is small state of India. It would have been even smaller if some parts of Bihar was not included in West Bengal. Original Western part of Bengal is nothing but an extension of Bangladesh.

ethnically both are bengalis... so if we are refering to about ethnicity then may be we will call both of you bengali... but when the distinction need to made based on where you are from, we call west bengalis.. bengali.. and people of bangladesh as bangladeshi.. otherwise it will be confusing...