One Bengal

One Bengal

By Rajib Kumar

#NoPolarisationPlease

#OneBengal

#DontDivideBengal

West Bengal has been a wonderful case for the cosmopolitan. 

The Marwaris have played a crucial role in the local business contributing to the state's economy enormously and generating significant employment across the skills inventory. The Marwaris have also made extensive impact in social and charitable scene over the years. Other than the Marwaris the city also has a sizable, albeit low profile, presence of other Rajasthanis.

The Gujaratis too have been in the limelight though a large section moved back to their origin post revival of the state under Mr. Modi plus at this end, the down-slide in WB's business environment over the years. Kolkata's Stock Exchange was once dominated by the community along with their assorted interests in jute, tea, coal, leather and textile trade. Though there are still a whole lot them contributing in these businesses the numbers according to some surveys have dwindled to a third to what it is used to be at the peak. 

The Biharis again have supported the supply chains of the trade through their benchmark manual labour.

Majority of the Anglo Indian community from Ripon Street and Taltala areas immigrated to Australia and NZ during the late 80s and early 90s. They have been largely replaced by Muslims from the cow belt. 

The Sindhis too have decreased in large numbers in pursuit of greener pastures in the Caribbeans though there are still a sizeable number of Sindhi shop owners in New Market and Lindsay street areas. Some have expanded into larger diversified businesses like real estate and textiles. Some well known Sindhis own major restaurants on Park Street ofcourse. 

The Bohras too rule roost in Bentick Street area with large outlets selling suit, shirt and trouser pieces and then you have the Indian Chinese with their shoe business. Further on into the Tiretta Bazar/Bow Street areas some Indian Chinese businesses of noodles and sauce are holding forte in the age of branded/corporate retailing. 

Again the South Indian community in the Shiv Mandir and Lake areas have been torch bearers of the Deccan delight. And again the "fight" between Chitpur's Royal, Chandni's Sabir's and Park Circus's Shiraz/Rahmania's continue to keep the Coffee House goers on their debating toes. Did I forget the good old post New Market visit of Aminia or Biryani House in the process? 

Bengal indeed has been an amazingly accurate sample of the Indian nation. Everything that the nation sought to represent. 

Under circumstances, it is disturbing these days to hear reports from the local media that a "Bengali" has been killed in X state or Y state and not "someone hailing from Bengal" or "a Bengal denizen or resident" for that matter. 

Even the much ridiculed state of Bihar would go with "migrant workers from Bihar" or "our state" over "Biharis" to respect our sacred federalism along with the  cosmopolitan flavor of their state (Bihar too ofcourse is another case requiring another story) but this learning has been given a miss by Bengal's intellectual sycophants of the political pricks. In the process, another bout of polarization is being needlessly inculcated into the system between this "Bengali" and "Non-Bengali" refrain. 

© Rajib Kumar