City of NO HOPE-KOLKATA

The city of Kolkatta which is often held so proudly by ethnic Bengalis is a city that no one will want to visit twice if he/she can avoid. It had become synonymous with poverty, disease, destitution and all things that is anathema to human civilisation. Mother Teresa found the city ideal for her mission and people instantly recognise this city along with her name. The Bengali Bhadrolok in his stylised Dhoti looks like an awkward leaping frog trying to negotiate the potholes of Kolkatta's messy roads. And add to this the pervasive stench of human waste everywhere; the air of this city reeks of everything that a place can be wrong. Geographically it is situated in a very advantageous position, a natural harbour is located at short distance from it, and it is a major international airport and seaport for a number of eastern and northeastern states of India. Yet, this city has not been able to exploit its natural advantage and continues to wallow in poverty. The leaders of this state are a pathetic lot who do not have any foresight and their only concern has been to cling to power by using any means. Any means can include some of the ethnic Bengali leaders even acting to offer a type of PRAYER like contortions to please a particular section of the society, who had heaped terrible brutalities on us in the last century.

For everything said and written and those lofty ideas and the famous Bengali Romanticism, it is painful fact that every year thousands of Bengalis are forced to migrate to greener pastures in search of livelihood. Many of them heed to Gujarat, the Chief Minister of whose is a bête-noire of every Bengali Politician, journalist, author and intellectual worth his name.

And yet Bengalis never stop bragging about Kolkatta- the city of joy.

Digvijay Singh Belittles Hindu Bengalis

The irresponsible comments by a senior Congress leader like Digvijay Singh who termed Bengali Hindus fleeing from East Bengal as "Foreigner" has hurt the feelings of millions of those traumatized souls fleeing communal persecution in that land after partition.

Bengali Hindus who were at the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle deserve some respect not scorn by the oldest political party of India.

21 February 1952 And 19 May 1961

While Bengalis of West Bengal found time and energy to remember the events of 21 February 1951 most intellectuall Bengalis don't even now that ethnic Bengali Hindus were killed in the Indian state of Assam for demanding to read and write in their mother tongue while the Assam government was trying to impose Assamese on the people of Barak valley.

On 19 May 1961, Assam Police opened fire on unarmed protesters at Silchar Railway
Station in which 11 agitators died.

The below mentioned post is courtesy SIFY NEWS on the celebrations held in the Indian State of West Bengal to commemorate the "Language Martyrs' Day" 

Kolkata: West Bengal on Monday observed 'Language Martyrs' Day' paying homage to those who laid down their lives for the cause of the Bengali language in Dhaka in 1952.
The day is now celebrated as International Mother Language Day the world over.

Bengalis Burning with Indignation in Assam

The Bengalis of Assam are feeling indignation after an ethnic Bihari MLA in upper Assam beats up an executive committee member of All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation and allegedly used derogatory remarks against ethnic Hindu Bengalis.

The below mentioned lines are courtsey The Telegraph:

Dibrugarh, Dec. 2: The All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation today burnt effigies of Tinsukia Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh across Assam alleging police inaction after the MLA physically assaulted one of its members, Ratan Dey, in front of the Tinsukia district Congress committee office on Monday.

Bengali Hindus in Assam Seek Presidential Intervention

With reports of large scale harassment of Bengali Hindus by the state apparatus of Assam, Bengali Hindus are a terrified lot these days. They are harassed in the name of detecting illegal migrants from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Bengal).

Of particular concern is the treatment meted out to female detainees.

Bengali Hindus were in the forefront of Independence movement and the creation of Pakistan was not their fault; yet more than half a century later,we continue to suffer the ignominy of being refugees, and people whose ancestors had never protested against the imperial rule blame us for Partition.  We are called Bangladeshis though Bangladesh was created only in 1971 though many of us are second or third generation immigrants from Bangladesh.

India has a moral obligation to give citizenship status even to those Bengali Hindus who migrated post-1971.

Arundhati Roy-the Writer India Fears and Abhors

Arundhati Roy, the Half Bengali writer and activist, has often courted controversy by pricking on sensitive issues which is considered taboo in India. Her arguments in favour of Kashmiri Azadi, her views on Naxalism plaguing large parts of India,her campaign against the Narmada Dam project have demonstrated her ability to swim against the tide. Whatever one may say, Arundhati Roy has been able to solidly back up her stand by her writings and views. The government of India had often found itself lost in words to reply to her powerful writings and instead threathened her with arrest. The largest Democracy of the world is often at back foot when she writes. Her Speech on Youtube

But the same Govt. of India can't explain to its people why thousand and thousands of young Kashmiri youths braved LIVE POLICE BULLETS for months on end and demonstrating on the streets of the Kashmir Valley chanting "Azadi, Azadi". Not even GOD can prod an entire race to come out on the streets like that. There is something which needs to be answered.

All said and done, Arunadhati Roy is a master writer. I had read her book "THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS" and without doubt she is a master story teller.

But she is also Bengali and born in Shillong in Meghalaya which is home to thousands of Bengali Refugees. She must have seen the helplessness of these Bengalis. Arundhati ---you are fearless,have the ability to ring alarm bells, if possible also speak out about Bengali Refugees. You yourself is having a Bengali surname. Please do something, write something --we Bengalis Refugees are also a taboo subject in India. How had we coped in alien lands, amidst often hostile locals-these things are worth mentioning..