Bangla Pokkho

Bangla Pokkho is a pro-Bengali advocacy organization that focuses on rights for Bengalis in the Indian Union, Bengali nationalism[1] and works against the Hindi cultural and linguistic imperialism and domination of Hindi speakers in West Bengal. It is organized along linguistic lines and aimed at protecting Bengali culture. It uses the Bengali slogan Joy Bangla. [2]

First National press meet of Bangla Pokkho
Bangla Pokkho (বাংলা পক্ষ)
Formation2018 (2018)
FounderDr. Garga Chatterjee (ডাঃ গর্গ চট্টোপাধ্যায়)
Founded atWest Bengal
TypeBengali nationalism, Indian Nationalism, Rights of Bengali people, Anti Hindi - Urdu Imperialism, Neo-conservative, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity among the Bengali people.
Legal statusActive
FocusBengali nationalism
HeadquartersKolkata
Location
Region served
West Bengal
Tripura
ProductsBangla Pokkho Barta (Weekly newspaper)and একদিন সব বাঙালীর হবে Magazine
Official language
Bengali
Websitewww.banglapokkho.com

Demands and Protests
See also: Anti-Bengali sentiment in India

Bangla Pokkho majorly demands 100% reservation for residents of West Bengal in fields of Government job[3] and 90% reservation in other job sectors, education, military, administration works.[4] The group has done numerous meetings, gatherings and rallies throughout many places of West Bengal and Tripura.[3][5]

Bangla Pokkho, also demanding domicile reservation gave numerous deputations in universities, which eventually resulted in starting Domicile reservation in Calcutta University [6] and Jadavpur University[7]

Bangla pokkho also demanded for Bengali language in various exams i.e. Rail, JEE, NEET[1] etc., and in Banks, offices and other sectors. The group proposed that the top administrative officials in West Bengal must come from WBCS/WBPS cadre and not IAS/IPS.

Protests

Bangla Pokkho made protest when Bengali workers in WBSEDCL were expelled as they had not fluency in English and Hindi. After protests, the company has taken back then and enacted them in respective places.[8][9]

Massive controversy broke out when in the second season of 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.[10] The group sent a legal notice to remove the scene.[11] After that Zee5 edited and re-released the show cutting out the Khudiram image.[12]

The group opposed the CAA, 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.[13]

The group also protested against the idea of formation of Gorkhaland. They fired an idol of Subramaniyam Swami who proposed to make a separate state from West Bengal namely Gorkhaland [14]

Bangla Pokkho along with Kanchanpur Nagarik Surakkha Mancha meet 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.[15]

Support and criticism

As of January 2019, Bangla Pokkho has two to three hundred-thousand supporters, has members from across political parties like CPI(M), INC, TMC.[1] Supporters usually have a stand for promotion and protection of Bengali culture and strict opposition to ill aspects of Bihari and Bhojpuri culture. Bangla Pokkho gets huge support from conservative bengali people and those who support Bengali business houses. The Marwari-Gujrati nexus fears to compete in a free market where Bengali bourgeoisie can flourish and therefore wants to operate in a market that is tailor made to suit their needs. Bangla Pokkho is known to promote Hindu Muslim unity in among Bengalis. Maidul Islam, political analyst and faculty member of Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, terms this as rise of organic nationalist left of center, after the decline of Left and its class politics. [16] The bengali struggle is equivalent to class struggle.

References
  1. "Bangla Pokkho: the outfit fighting for the rights of Bengalis". www.telegraphindia.com.
  2. "Bangla Pokkho". www.banglapokkho.com.
  3. "'Bangla Pokkho' seeks job, education reservation ahead of Bengal polls - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com.
  4. "'Bangla Pokkho' seeks job, education reservation for Bengalis in Bengal - Times of India". The Times of India.
  5. 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&ampcf=1
  6. "Calcutta University sets domicile term for tech entry". www.telegraphindia.com.
  7. https://m.timesofindia.com/city/kolkata/ju-to-start-domicile-reservation-this-year/amp_articleshow/69882203.cms&ved=2ahUKEwi72NTO-tbuAhXyzzgGHbVzBugQFjAOegQIGBAC&usg=AOvVaw3_V7u-8t8JO9cINwiTMt0s&cshid=1612673164173
  8. Chakraborty, Ritika (October 17, 2020). "ইংরেজি না বলার অপরাধে আয়কর দফতর থেকে ছাঁটাই পাঁচ কর্মী, প্রতিবাদ বাংলা পক্ষের".
  9. Chakraborty, Ritika (June 30, 2020). "'বাঙালিকে চাকরিতে নেবে না', প্রতিবাদ জানিয়ে থানায় অভিযোগ দায়ের বাংলা পক্ষের".
  10. "অপরাধীদের মাঝে ক্ষুদিরামের ছবি! চাপে নিঃশর্ত ক্ষমা Zee5-এর, বিক্ষোভ বাংলা পক্ষের". Ei Samay.
  11. "'Abhay 2' makers get legal notice after row over Khudiram Bose's image". The Federal. August 17, 2020.
  12. Deep, Aroon (August 19, 2020). "Zee5 edits freedom fighter out of TV show after appearance on wanted board causes outrage".
  13. Singha, Biswajit Roy and Aritra (December 15, 2019). "BJP is the most undemocratic party and the Bengalis are ready to fight back". eNewsroom India.
  14. "সুব্রামানিয়াম স্বামীর কুশপুতুল পুড়িয়ে প্রতিবাদ, বাংলা ভাগের বিরুদ্ধে পথে নামল 'বাংলাপক্ষ' | Bangla pokkho protest against Subramaniyam Swamy on Gorkhaland remarks". bangla.asianetnews.com.
  15. "ত্রিপুরায় আমন্ত্রিত বাংলা পক্ষ, জনসভায় ভিড় ৩০,০০০ বাঙালির". www.aajkaal.in/.
  16. "Bengali-non-Bengali divide arising in West Bengal?". Deccan Herald. November 6, 2019.
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