Bangla Pokkho
{{Short description|Pro-Bengali advocacy organisation}}
{{more references|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Bangla Pokkho
| logo = Bangla Pokkho logo.jpeg
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| pronounce = {{IPA|bn|baŋla pɔkʰːo|}}
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| formation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|p=y|2018|01|07}}
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| founder = Garga Chatterjee
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| status = Active
| focus = Bengali nationalism in India
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| headquarters = Kolkata, India
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| region_served = West Bengal
| products = Bangla Pokkho Barta (Monthly newspaper)
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| membership = 200,000-300,000
| membership_year = 2019
| language = Bengali
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| website = {{URL|www.banglapokkho.com}}
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Bangla Pokkho ({{IPA|bn|ˈbaŋla ˈpɔkʰːo|pron}}) is a pro-Bengali advocacy organisation that focuses on rights for Bengalis in the Republic of India. Based on Bengali nationalism, it works against the enforcing of the Hindustani language in West Bengal. It is organised along linguistic lines and is aimed at protecting Bengali culture. It uses the state slogan "Joy Bangla".{{Cite web|url=http://www.banglapokkho.com/|title=Bangla Pokkho|website=www.banglapokkho.com}}
Demands and protests
{{see also|Discrimination against Bengalis in India|Anti-Hindi agitations of West Bengal}}
Bangla Pokkho majorly demands 100% reservation for residents of West Bengal in fields of government jobs{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/Jan/17/bangla-pokkho-seeks-job-education-reservation-ahead-of-bengal-polls-2251382.html|title='Bangla Pokkho' seeks job, education reservation ahead of Bengal polls - The New Indian Express|website=www.newindianexpress.com}} and 90% reservation in other job sectors, education, military, and administration works.{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/bangla-pokkho-seeks-job-education-reservation-for-bengalis-in-bengal/articleshow/80322882.cms|title='Bangla Pokkho' seeks job, education reservation for Bengalis in Bengal - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=18 January 2021 }} The group has done numerous meetings, gatherings, and rallies throughout many places of West Bengal and Tripura.https://bengali.indianexpress.com/politics/bangla-pokkho-meeting-in-kolkata-for-demand-protection-of-bengal-son-of-the-soil-bhumiputra-277439/lite/&ved=2ahUKEwiL3subw_PuAhWaWX0KHYxwCqUQFjAEegQICBAL&usg=AOvVaw0CeFqxUG6u9rp81YZFz3Sa&cf=1 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}
Bangla Pokkho also demanded for Bengali language in various exams i.e. Rail, JEE, NEET{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/bangla-pokkho-the-outfit-fighting-for-the-rights-of-bengalis/cid/1681567|title=Bangla Pokkho: the outfit fighting for the rights of Bengalis|website=www.telegraphindia.com}} etc., and in Banks, offices, and other sectors. The group proposed that the top administrative officials in West Bengal must come from the WBCS/WBPS cadre and not the IAS/IPS.
Bangla Pokkho protested when Bengali workers in WBSEDCL were expelled as they were not fluent in English and Hindi. After protests, the company took them back and enacted them in respective places.{{Cite web|url=https://kolkatatimes24.com/kolkata/69666/five-workers-were-sacked-from-the-income-tax-department-for-not-speaking-english/|title=ইংরেজি না বলার অপরাধে আয়কর দফতর থেকে ছাঁটাই পাঁচ কর্মী, প্রতিবাদ বাংলা পক্ষের|first=Ritika|last=Chakraborty|date=October 17, 2020|access-date=February 18, 2021|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025111722/https://kolkatatimes24.com/kolkata/69666/five-workers-were-sacked-from-the-income-tax-department-for-not-speaking-english/|url-status=usurped}}{{Cite web|url=https://kolkatatimes24.com/kolkata/57375/bangla-pokkho-lodged-a-complaint-in-police-station-protesting-that-bengalis-will-not-be-hired/|title='বাঙালিকে চাকরিতে নেবে না', প্রতিবাদ জানিয়ে থানায় অভিযোগ দায়ের বাংলা পক্ষের|first=Ritika|last=Chakraborty|date=June 30, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Massive controversy broke out when in the second season of the webseries ‘Abhay’, released on OTT platform Zee5, young Bengali freedom fighter Khudiram Bose was shown as a "criminal" in its second episode. Bangla Pokkho along with many nationalist organisations protested and demanded the show to be banned.{{Cite web|url=https://eisamay.indiatimes.com/west-bengal-news/kolkata-news/in-abhay-2-freedom-fighter-khudiram-boses-photo-used-on-criminal-board-zee5-issues-apology/articleshow/77596445.cms|title=অপরাধীদের মাঝে ক্ষুদিরামের ছবি! চাপে নিঃশর্ত ক্ষমা Zee5-এর, বিক্ষোভ বাংলা পক্ষের|website=Ei Samay}} The group sent a legal notice to remove the scene.{{Cite web|url=https://thefederal.com/news/abhay-2-makers-zee5-legal-notice-freedom-fighters-khudiram-bose/|title='Abhay 2' makers get legal notice after row over Khudiram Bose's image|date=August 17, 2020|website=The Federal}} After that Zee5 edited and re-released the show cutting out the Khudiram image.{{Cite web|url=https://www.medianama.com/2020/08/223-zee5-khudiram-bose-abhay/|title=Zee5 edits freedom fighter out of TV show after appearance on wanted board causes outrage|first=Aroon|last=Deep|date=August 19, 2020}}
The group opposed the CAA and NRC, planned by the central government to be implemented in Bengal. Bangla Pokkho said that the BJP unlawfully had passed the laws in the parliament to break the unity of Hindus and Muslims.{{Cite web|url=https://enewsroom.in/bangla-pokkho-caa-cab-nrc-bjp-bengali/|title=BJP is the most undemocratic party and the Bengalis are ready to fight back|first=Biswajit Roy and Aritra|last=Singha|date=December 15, 2019|website=eNewsroom India}}
The group also protested against the idea of the formation of Gorkhaland. They fired an idol of Subramaniyam Swami who proposed to make a separate state from West Bengal namely Gorkhaland {{Cite web|url=https://bangla.asianetnews.com/kolkata/bangla-pokkho-protest-against-subramaniyam-swamy-on-gorkhaland-remarks-q5u3zw/articleshow-uar1ns|title=সুব্রামানিয়াম স্বামীর কুশপুতুল পুড়িয়ে প্রতিবাদ, বাংলা ভাগের বিরুদ্ধে পথে নামল 'বাংলাপক্ষ' | Bangla pokkho protest against Subramaniyam Swamy on Gorkhaland remarks|website=bangla.asianetnews.com}}
Bangla Pokkho along with Kanchanpur Nagarik Surakkha Mancha met in a big protest in Tripura, that gathered more than 30,000 Bengalis in Tripura, complaining against social discrimination of Bengalis by the Tripura state BJP Government.{{Cite web|url=https://aajkaal.in/news/national/bangla-pakkha-in-tripura--more-than-30-thousand-people-gathered-ftqo|title=ত্রিপুরায় আমন্ত্রিত বাংলা পক্ষ, জনসভায় ভিড় ৩০,০০০ বাঙালির|website=www.aajkaal.in/|access-date=2021-02-18|archive-date=2022-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512023303/https://aajkaal.in/news/national/bangla-pakkha-in-tripura--more-than-30-thousand-people-gathered-ftqo|url-status=dead}}
Major successes
- The West Bengal Public Service Commission, which is the body for tests for administrative posts in the Government of West Bengal marked the Bengali language mandatory with 300 marks in Bengali/Nepali language paper in the examination.{{cite web | url=https://bangla.asianetnews.com/west-bengal/west-bengal-news/bangla-pokkho-celebrates-victory-of-making-bengali-paper-of-300-marks-compulsory-in-wbcs-examination-bengals-psc-building-bsm/articleshow-xw36m1h | title=WBCS-এ বাংলা ভাষা পরীক্ষা বাধ্যতামূলক, ৫ বছরের লড়াইয়ে জয় উদযাপন করল বাংলা পক্ষ }}
- Hindi and English languages were used in Kolkata Metro Rail smart cards. In this regard, the Bangla Pokkho protested and pointed out the non-use of the Bengali language in Bengali-speaking states and the use of Hindi to the exclusion of the Bengali. Bengali language was included in Kolkata Metro Rail smart card after this protest.{{cite web |title=Anti-Hindi movement re-surfaces in Bengal, leader says BJP's rise a threat to regional languages |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/anti-hindi-movement-re-surfaces-in-bengal-leader-says-bjp-s-rise-a-threat-to-regional-languages/story-waqTnAfUTHrNyqKmZyPw8N.html |website=www.hindustantimes.com |date=6 July 2018 |access-date=14 November 2022 |language=en |archive-date=12 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112144038/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/anti-hindi-movement-re-surfaces-in-bengal-leader-says-bjp-s-rise-a-threat-to-regional-languages/story-waqTnAfUTHrNyqKmZyPw8N.html |url-status=dead }}
- The SET exam, used to recruit college faculties, introduced the Bengali language as a medium.{{cite web | url=https://bangla.aajtak.in/education/story/set-2023-most-question-papers-are-bengali-big-update-set-exam-rjk-493904-2023-01-06 | title=Set 2023: বাংলায় প্রশ্নপত্র, রবিবার পরীক্ষায় বসছেন ৮৫ হাজার, Set নিয়ে বড় আপডেট }}
- Major banks and ATMs started to use the Bengali language in the bank forms, which were previously in Hindi and English only.{{cite web | url=https://lawbeat.in/news-updates/petition-filed-calcutta-high-court-seeking-bank-services-bengali-language | title=Petition filed in Calcutta High Court seeking bank services in Bengali language }}
Support and criticism
As of January 2019, Bangla Pokkho claims to have 200,000 to 300,000 supporters, who usually have a stand for the promotion and protection of Bengali culture. Bangla Pokkho is known to promote Hindu-Muslim unity among Bengalis.{{cn|date=February 2025}} Maidul Islam, political analyst and faculty member of Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, terms this as the rise of the organic nationalist left of center, after the decline of Left and its class politics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bengali-non-bengali-divide-arising-in-west-bengal-773902.html|title=Bengali-non-Bengali divide arising in West Bengal?|date=November 6, 2019|website=Deccan Herald}}
=Criticisms=
A political controversy had erupted over a video in which a group of men are purportedly seen assaulting and abusing two job aspirants from Bihar in Siliguri town of West Bengal.The video, which was on social media, showed two youths from Bihar, said to be appearing for recruitment in the central para military forces, being heckled by a group of people and questioned about their domicile. The accused shouted at them, searched their documents and made them do squats holding their ears.
“A video was in circulation on social media where two persons claiming them as IB officers were seen assaulting and abusing two other persons in Siliguri. Those two persons have been identified, their claim of being the IB officers is fake and they have been arrested,” the Siliguri Police Commissionerate had posted on X on Thursday (September 26, 2024).The two accused, Rajat Bhattacharya and Giridhari Roy, were produced before a court in Siliguri on Friday and remanded to two days of police custody. While being produced in a court, Mr. Bhattacharya remained unfazed and said that people from other states cannot appear in recruitment drives in West Bengal.
According to some reports, the accused are associated with Bangla Pokkho, a group that claims to promote “Bengali nationalism” and “protect Bengali culture”. Over the past few years, the issue of ‘Bahirgata’ (outsiders) has dominated the State politics and was at the centre of discourse during the 2021 Assembly polls. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal/assault-on-job-aspirants-from-bihar-in-west-bengal-sparks-a-political-row/article68691319.ece/
References
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External links
- [http://www.banglapokkho.com/ Official website]
{{West Bengal}}{{Hindi topics}}