What is the difference between the Bengali's of west Bengal and Bengali's of north east India (Assam, Tripura etc)?
The Bengalis of West Bengal are called Ghotis while the Bengalis of NE India are called Bangals (originating from East Bengal).Coming from someone who has Bangal ancestry from his father's side, I'd say Bangals tend to be more religious and culturally conservative because they had to move out of their motherland. Bangals are more fierce to maintain their identity among various other ethnic groups whereas the Ghotis do not face this problem. The Ghotis tend to be very carefree and less religious compared.Apart from dialects, there are also minor differences in dressing habits.e.g., Shutki (dried fish) is loved by Bangals while Ghotis caramelize their food with sugar a lot. Bangals use LOTS of chilli in their food while Ghotis prefer mild and sweeter dishes.
Why Bengalis from Brahmin, Baidya & Kayastha community are the only representatives of people from West Bengal in all forms of media, despite being less than 20% of the total population?
Though the three upper castes,i.e. the bbks are over-represented in every field, there is no problem of casteism in West Bengal. Nowadays, the Dases and the Mandals are also coming up in academics (among the backward castes). Now, let me tell you something about the bbks. The bbks were the first to take up modern education in India apart from the Tamil Brahmins and the Marathi Brahmins. The bbks lay utmost emphasis on education. The bbks believe that money and good looks are of no importance if you are not educated enough. With this type of mentality, one truly strives to be well-educated. The bbks are one of the most hard-working and intelligent communities in India. However, exceptions are always there and one may find a large number of unsuccessful people within these 3 communities. Let me give a list of notable Brahmins, Baidyas and Kayasthas. You will realize that these notable personalities deserve respect from everyone irrespective of casteFew notable Brahmins 1) Rabindranath Tagore 2) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee 3) Ramkrishna Paramhansa( original name Gadadhar Chatterjee) 4) Raja RamMohan Roy5) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bannerjee)6) Sarat Chandra Chatterjee 7) Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobish8) Atul Chandra Chatterjee ( first Indian to top the ICS) 9) Dr. U.N. Brahmachari ( he synthesized urea stibamine and used it as an effective drug for the dreaded Kala- azar disease).10) Suniti Kumar Chatterjee ( the most eminent linguist India has ever produced).I can go on and on about Bengali Brahmins. But I need to mention some notable Kayasthas and Baidyas too. Few notable Kayasthas1) A.J.C. Bose 2) Satyendranath Bose 3) Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose 4) Aurobindo Ghosh 5) Swami Vivekananda( original name Narendranath Dutta)6) Akshay Kumar Dutta7) Satyendranath Dutta( second Indian to top the ICS) 8) Jyoti Basu 9) Gurusaday Dutta10) Bipasha Basu Again,the list can continue indefinitely like the Brahmin one. However, I am now mentioning some notable BaidyasFew notable Baidyas 1) Amartya Sen2) J.M. Sengupta 3) Masterda Surya Sen4) Nabeen Chandra Sen5) Sukumar Sen ( first CEC of independent India) 6) Ishwar Chandra Gupta7) Dipankar Gupta8) Gouri Sen9) Sushmita Sen10) Suchitra SenAgain, this list can continue indefinitely like the previous two lists. So,leave aside this type of reverse casteist thinking and try to respect individuals with respect to their deeds.
Why are the people of West Bengal called ghoti?
It’s a colloquial term.The history behind it.Partition of Bengal (1905) had West Bengal and East Bengal. Lord Curzon > Based on religion > Bengal was the brain capital of India > Divide and rule policy of the Brits Read Wiki (Partition of Bengal (1905))The Bengalis of West Bengal were called “Ghotis”. While the ones from East Bengal were called “Bangals”. The term Ghoti is known to have gained popularity during the exodus of Bengali Hindus from East Bengal (later East Pakistan, then after Bangladesh) into India in 1947. The reason behind the term “Ghoti” is debated and unclear.There are cultural differences between the two :Love for the fish:Ghoti- Chingri (Prawns)Bangal- Illish (Hilsa)There are notable differences in language accents and lifestyles. Both claim their superiority, though.But the biggest of all - SoccerGhoti- Mohun BaganBangal- East BengalThis makes for by far the biggest football derby in India. And in many occasions in Asia.I’m myself one of the above. Those who know, will know from my sir name.-Jai Hind
How many Ghoti Bengalis are there in West Bengal? How many Bangal Bengalis are in West Bengal?
Ghoti and Bangal are not ethnic identities like Bengali and Odiya or Assamese and Tamil. Bengalis living in eastern part of Bengal were called Bangals and those living in western parts were called ghotis. We can further be more specific and say, Bengalis who were living in Dhaka division of modern Bangladesh were called Bangals, because the ancient name of this region was Vanga or Banga.Entire East bengal (modern Bangladesh, Tripura and Southern Assam) was never Vanga and all people of East Bengal were never Bangals.Now, lets talk about Ghotis. This term was used to describe the people living in border areas of modern Bangladesh. I mean they were in West Bengal but in the borders of East Bengal.Now, after partition, all people who came from East Bengal (aka East Pakistan aka Bangladesh) were termed as Bangals and all people who were already residing in West Bengal were termed as Ghotis.This is a media created hype. and this hype is believed in Kolkata and areas within 50 km radius from Kolkata.Even if we believe in this hype that all EBs are Bangals and all WBs are ghotis, we must not forget that these are only regional identities like North Delhi and South Delhi. People of ND (Shahadra)are considered old fashioned and unsophisticated will the people of SD (South Extension) are considered sophisticated and modern. Thats all. Does it prevent ND people and SD people from marrying each other.??Similarly, many Bengalis are of mixed heritage. Bengals of unmixed heritage are found in Bengali regions of Assam and Tripura. They dont call themselves Bangal. For them, Bangal means modern Bangladeshi Muslims.Similarly, unmixed Ghotis are found in Western part of West Bengal, aka, Birbhum, Purulia, Bardhman, Midnapore etc. They dont even know what is the meaning of Ghoti.Similarly, Muslims staying in West Bengal are not Ghotis.So, any percentage cannot be given.However, if we take this stupid idiotic media bullshit as real, then, in West Bengal, it will be something like, 70% Ghotis, 10% Bangals, 20 % mixed.
Why do the people of Kolkata hate Bangal's? Bangals are not Bengali.
My family from my mother’s side, came from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Kolkata, during Partition, so I think I know about this topic.‘Bangals’ as they were called & still are called, were made fun of because of their different accent, their food habits, their rituals and were mocked for losing their home & land, though without any fault of theirs.They gradually had made peace with this attitude of the ‘Ghotis’, the people originally from West Bengal.I have seen many educated families harbouring this kind-of-hatred towards the Bangals. Even people of the younger generation seem to have been told since childhood that “Bangals are outsiders.”I can understand the original cause of this prejudice. The people of West Bengal suddenly founds thousands and thousands of refugees coming from East Bengal and crowding their city. There were refugees every where, they had to be provided with food & basic amenities, but there were not much resources. Naturally, the Ghotis had to share their land & food with those ‘outsiders’. Thus, the anger.And it is unbelievable how this anger has been simmering since generations!They should understand that the Bangals did not come to West Bengal just like that. They were thrown out of their country — where they had been living since generations — all of a sudden. They had no food, no money & no security.The life they lead as refugees was miserable. They had to start from zero and survive in a place foreign to them, that too fighting every day against the prejudices of the local people.My grandfather died with the same feeling of being an ‘outsider’, even after so many years of living in Kolkata.I understand both Ghotis & Bangals as I have both of them in my family. My father’s family were enough broadminded to have never bothered about these things. Maximum Ghotis are like this but still there are a few prejudiced people even today.Let’s hope for a day when no Bengali child will know to differentiate between a Bangal & Ghoti or will have to choose between East Bengal or Mohun Bagan.Let them know all of us as Bengalis.
What is the population of Ghoti and Bangal respectively in West Bengal?
The Census which is done by the government of India take note of the following information during its door to door survey. 1. Name of the person2. Relationship to head3. Sex4. Date of birth and age5. Current marital status6. Age at marriage7. Religion8. Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe9. Disability10. Mother tongue11. Other languages knownLiteracy status1. Status of attendance (Education)2. Highest educational level attained3. Working any time during last year4. Category of economic activity5. Occupation Nature of industry6. Trade or service7. Class of worker8. Non economic activityOther Information1. Seeking or available for work2. Travel to place of work3. Birthplace4. Place of last residence5. Reason for migration7. Duration of stay in the place of migration8. Children surviving9. Children ever born10. Number of children born alive during last one yearComing to the real point. It is seen that the census makes a note of where you are born. In Kolkata if you are born in a house where both of your parents are 'Ghoti', you are considered as a 'Ghoti'. The same goes with 'Bangals'. Since the census makes no note of such differences between 'Bangal' and 'Ghoti' it becomes very difficult to provide a clear estimate to what might be the ratio of 'Bangal' and 'Ghoti' population in Kolkata. Again with the increasing broad mindedness of the present population, many a child is born to a family where the Father and the Mother are of separate origin, i.e, one 'Ghoti' and one 'Bangal'. This makes the newborn a member of neither of the clans. Thus adding more ambiguity to the possibility of counting the ratio of 'Bangal' and 'Ghoti'. But as time moves in forward direction, one thing is for sure - the number of Hybrids (belonging to neither of the clans) is becoming very common. This in turn prepares a Bengali community with virtues of both the 'Bangals' and 'Ghoti'. In other words, providing a clear estimate of the ratio of 'Bangal' to 'Ghoti' is next to impossible.
Who are better: Ghoti people or Bangal people? And why?
Ghotis fought and kept our land with us. We didn’t lose it to the muslims. Gopal Patha and Shayam Prasad Mukherjee fought hard to make sure Ghoti land stays with Ghotis. We didn’t let anyone steal our land. We had Nadia Raj and great kings who constantly defeneded Dharma in our lands.Bangals had great fighters too but circumstances led to present mishap. Bangals have faced tough situations and still are here. I would say Bangals are the defenders and softer but Ghotis are attackers and aggressive.Don’t worry brothers we will fight and save Bangal and North Bengal lands too. Ghotis will help Bangals, fellow North Bengalis, and ghotis left on the wrong side in Khulna, Barisal, Bengals Hindus of Burma, to fight back and take back our land. We have some parts of our land in Jhapa district of Nepal too.Create a United Bengal taking our lands back from Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Tripura, Bangladesh, Arakan(Rakhine) to create Brihottoro Bangla.Native Rakhine people, Kokborok and Tripuri people, our brave Nepali brothers and many tribals will be treated with utmost respect and equality. Bengali Hindus will flourish and Muslims will be asked to return back to their native faith of Hinduism and worship MAA DURGA or asked to go to Pakistan.Hindu Brihottoro Bengal will happen and all Dharmic people will flourish.
Do Bangladeshi Hindus put Bangladesh and West Bengal in same category as own home country?
I would agree with what Niaz has already said, I would like to add something to it. People have the tendency to feel secure around their own group and for that same reason West Bengal's sizable Muslim(Bengali-speaking) population would feel more attached to Bangladeshi Muslims more then that with WB's Hindus or even their Muslim brethren from other ethnicites. It probably depends on human upbringing, a person will feel more familiar with groups who follow same set of customs, speaks the same tongue and as religion dictates the way a person leads his life hence religion also comes to the frame. And to the issue of fleeing to WB, Its been a trend since 1947. Simply speaking some Hindus feel more at home in India, Bangladesh have done very little to make Hindus have a sense of belonging there, Laws like Enemy Property Act are insulting. Bengalis in India cringe when they hear about atrocities perpetrated in Bangladesh but do nothing substantial other than turn blind eye to Bangladeshis settling in WB. Now people from both communities tend to come to India not just Hindus, has to do with state of economy more then belonging, I guess.
What is the history and origin of Bengali familyname "Sen"?
Sen is a common Bengali Hindu surname. It usually belongs to members of Baidya and Kshatriya castes. It derives from the Sanskrit word "सेना" (transliteration: senā), which stands for "army". In pre-modern times, it was a bestowed title (like Roy, Chakraborti and Chaudhary).Among the most famous wielders of this name are the Sena dynasty, the last Hindu rulers of Bengal, who ruled in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. At their zenith under Lakshman Sen, their rule extended from Varanasi to Assam and North Bengal to Odisha.Other famous Sens are:Amartya Sen: Winner of the Nobel memorial prize in economicsPrafulla Chandra Sen: Former chief minister of West BengalAshoke Sen: Theoretical physicist and a leading authority on string theorySushmita Sen: Actress, former Miss UniverseSuchitra Sen: ActressMihir Sen: First Asian to swim the English channel and first human to swim across the Palk straitSukumar Sen: First Chief Election Commissioner of IndiaSource: Wikipedia