'' DO NOT ALLOW BENGAL TO BECOME GUJARAT '' -- THIS IS NOT MY STATEMENT BUT A STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY MADE, NONETHELESS.
Bengalis need to learn how to combine. Quarrelling has become endemic in our community and it is time we treat this infectious disease. It is so widespread that quarantining a few will not do. The disease will have to be entirely eradicated, else, it will consume us all in its negative energy.
We must learn to cooperate with each other, coordinate our efforts and stop being pretentiously culturally exclusive in foolish exclamations from time to time. Of course, it is not so much the common man that engages in such vitriol against other communities and provinces but the leaders who attempt to solidify their electoral base by indulging in such unsavoury remarks against fellow Indians from other provinces. These leaders must be exposed for what they are and the people must increase in awareness about such unconstitutional remarks made against the integrity of the nation. After all, both Gujarat and West Bengal are integral parts of India and, despite the federal structure of the Union of India, cannot be thus segregated in terms of culture such that vicious invective of intent may be cast on one province with respect to the other.
Such comments made by leaders go against the grain of national integration and against the very spirit of our quasi-federal Republic of India. Far greater restraint is expected of heads of provinces when they articulate knowingly such divisive statements. It is wholly unacceptable to the State of Gujarat when it is openly categorised by obvious intent, and repeatedly so, as being endowed with a culture that is unacceptable in West Bengal. Such fissures in the Indian polity are not there and to attempt to create them will not only be politically inexpedient for its proponents in the near electoral future but is ethically downright degenerate. It is high time that right-minded citizens came together to raise their civic voices against such divisive comments with their consequential political ramifications.
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : A famous Bengali (Rabindranath Tagore)with two famous Gujaratis (Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi) sharing the same stage in Shantiniketan.
Bengalis need to learn how to combine. Quarrelling has become endemic in our community and it is time we treat this infectious disease. It is so widespread that quarantining a few will not do. The disease will have to be entirely eradicated, else, it will consume us all in its negative energy.
We must learn to cooperate with each other, coordinate our efforts and stop being pretentiously culturally exclusive in foolish exclamations from time to time. Of course, it is not so much the common man that engages in such vitriol against other communities and provinces but the leaders who attempt to solidify their electoral base by indulging in such unsavoury remarks against fellow Indians from other provinces. These leaders must be exposed for what they are and the people must increase in awareness about such unconstitutional remarks made against the integrity of the nation. After all, both Gujarat and West Bengal are integral parts of India and, despite the federal structure of the Union of India, cannot be thus segregated in terms of culture such that vicious invective of intent may be cast on one province with respect to the other.
Such comments made by leaders go against the grain of national integration and against the very spirit of our quasi-federal Republic of India. Far greater restraint is expected of heads of provinces when they articulate knowingly such divisive statements. It is wholly unacceptable to the State of Gujarat when it is openly categorised by obvious intent, and repeatedly so, as being endowed with a culture that is unacceptable in West Bengal. Such fissures in the Indian polity are not there and to attempt to create them will not only be politically inexpedient for its proponents in the near electoral future but is ethically downright degenerate. It is high time that right-minded citizens came together to raise their civic voices against such divisive comments with their consequential political ramifications.
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : A famous Bengali (Rabindranath Tagore)with two famous Gujaratis (Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi) sharing the same stage in Shantiniketan.
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