Bengali “Language Movement” for Dummies

[OTTOMAN]

Reality: the political activists participating in the “Language Movement” wanted Bengali to be side-by-side with Urdu as national languages of United Pakistan. In their official demands, they did NOT call for the eradication of Urdu from East Bengal.

Bengali used to be printed on currency notes!
Whereas Bengali was not the only local language in Pakistan, we have Sindhi, Balochi, Persian, Punjabi, etc. etc. URDU was language, which every one knew.. so there was two options, either to declare many languages as national and educate every one in all, or adopt one common language for the sake of inter-regional communication.
While, English remained the official language.

 

[Sliver]

yes i personally do to answer the bold part. but why would you consider Urdu to be non-indigenous and the Brahmin Formal Bengali to be indigenous? btw very few in Bangladesh use that Brahmin bengali as a first language, but rather for certain literary purposes, like on certain formal TV programs and print media.

first, I did not cite anything regarding brahmin bengal, and i do not know why you have come up with that.

But my question is this: before the advent of urdu(which is a fairly recent language circa 1700s), there was some other language here. this region of the planet was occupied for a long time before the advent of islam or urdu. I was asking,does that history form any part of your "nationalistic" narrative? Can I know what according to you is the idea and origin of bengal?

 

[khair_ctg]

first, I did not cite anything regarding brahmin bengal, and i do not know why you have come up with that.

But my question is this: before the advent of urdu(which is a fairly recent language circa 1700s), there was some other language here. this region of the planet was occupied for a long time before the advent of islam or urdu. I was asking,does that history form any part of your "nationalistic" narrative? Can I know what according to you is the idea and origin of bengal?

the advent of Urdu can be traced to when the first settlements and empires brought together Indic people and non-Indic people. Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and its structure is the same as that of other Indo-Aryan languages, like Punjabi, Bengali, Kashmiri, Bhojpuri, Bihari, etc. Urdu and the practice of Persian grew as various different types of Muslim groups came together, and as non-Sanskrit and Sanskrit cultures came together. Urdu CANNOT be considered a non-indigenous language from Bengal to Punjab, whereas the official form of Bengali language ("Brahmin Bengali") can be considered that for majority of Bangladesh. that reasons are explained at Musalmani Bangla and its transformation | Page 10. i hope you understood why i brought it up

some of the other members here have different kind of education, but as for me, i was educated in BD and i don't recall learning of anything before 1952 "language movement" in school. the only "nationalistic narrative" i ever learned was that ruthless Punjabi monsters unleashed terror on innocent Bengali victims, we gave up our lives for our language, "they" killed 3 million of "us", etc.

 

[Zabaniyah]

first, I did not cite anything regarding brahmin bengal, and i do not know why you have come up with that.

But my question is this: before the advent of urdu(which is a fairly recent language circa 1700s), there was some other language here. this region of the planet was occupied for a long time before the advent of islam or urdu. I was asking,does that history form any part of your "nationalistic" narrative? Can I know what according to you is the idea and origin of bengal?

I'm no historian, but what I can tell you is that very, very few Bengalis in East Pakistan spoke and wrote Urdu.

There are many languages in South Asia in each and every distinct sub-culture and history.

 

[Tameem]

very few Bengalis in East Pakistan spoke and wrote Urdu.

Few or most....the point is there are Bengalis who can speak and write Urdu whereas
there are almost none
Punjabis, Sindhis, Baluch, Kashmiries who knows Bengalis and vice versa.

 

[Green Arrow]

 

[asad71]

Few or most....the point is there are Bengalis who can speak and write Urdu whereas
there are almost none
Punjabis, Sindhis, Baluch, Kashmiries who knows Bengalis and vice versa.

Bengali is the language of only the Bengalis who are geographically located in one area. But Urdu is used/spoken by many races in many locations. It is indeed an international language which is easy to pick up by others - including Bengalis. But the reverse is not the case.

 

[bongbang]

Bengali is the language of only the Bengalis who are geographically located in one area. But Urdu is used/spoken by many races in many locations. It is indeed an international language which is easy to pick up by others - including Bengalis. But the reverse is not the case.

This language thing was real political movement. People gave it color with time. Main thing was as majority and real producer of pakistan, Bengalis just wanted to be the dominating force in national power. But west people never wanted that to happen. Western nationalism given birth to Bengal nationalism. And when it was inevitable to give power to the Bengalis. They loose their ethnic Army at mid night to wash off their hands from Bengal knowing the consequences and possible Indian interference. Ultimate goal was to exchange Kashmir with Bengal. They thought Kashmiris are more brotherly to them than black poor Bengalis and Muslim brotherhood didnt mean anything to them. Secret meeting between Bhutto and Yahya. It is said Bengalis could rule India or Pakistan if united today. Religious and Political intolerance at best let go those chances.
It is Indian generosity that they never occupied BD. When in the world it happened that loosing several people and money on foreign land one winning force never taken advantage of losing side. See for example world war 1 and 2. Still today Germany has to pay the price. If India taking advantage on BD today, that is because of the historical mistake of Bangladeshis to go united with a foreign west land in 1947. Why they brought war on Bangladesh when Bangladeshis were more pakistani than the pakistani themselves? The imperialist thirst of west pakistanis are fully responsible to break pakistan and happy at the same time to let go BD. And today we have to see this pathetic dance of people like @khair_ctg in the name of religion everyday repeatedly.

 

[Tameem]

Bengali is the language of only the Bengalis who are geographically located in one area. But Urdu is used/spoken by many races in many locations. It is indeed an international language which is easy to pick up by others - including Bengalis. But the reverse is not the case.

Its is Because, Urdu is the language of Mughals/Muslims upto 1857 and then after Mughals right uptil 1898 as the sole official language of the subcontinent.

Its only the blackmailing of the Bengali politicians which force through a regional language into the United Pakistani Currency notes, which is absolutely wrong as a principle. The point here again West Pakistanis elites tries their level best to accommodates but the stubbornness in Bengal (Like today both Begums shows) is beyond anything sensible.

 

[khair_ctg]

first, I did not cite anything regarding brahmin bengal, and i do not know why you have come up with that.

But my question is this: before the advent of urdu(which is a fairly recent language circa 1700s), there was some other language here. this region of the planet was occupied for a long time before the advent of islam or urdu. I was asking,does that history form any part of your "nationalistic" narrative? Can I know what according to you is the idea and origin of bengal?

I'm no historian, but what I can tell you is that very, very few Bengalis in East Pakistan spoke and wrote Urdu.

There are many languages in South Asia in each and every distinct sub-culture and history.

an account from around the year 1900 said that 'many' Muslims in mufassals and large towns in Bengal practiced Urdu. and among the Bengalis from whom Urdu was not a mother tongue, Urdu was prevalent only among the educated. considering the extreme illiteracy of Muslims of Bengal by that time, i will agree the number of Bengalis who practiced Urdu as first or second language was "few".

however, it beats me that many ignorant Bangladeshis still say "West Pakistanis forced an alien language" when there were in fact East Pakistani Bengali leaders at the top mainly dealing with the situation and it is about a language (Urdu) as indigenous as it can get.

Its is Because, Urdu is the language of Mughals/Muslims upto 1857 and then after Mughals right uptil 1898 as the sole official language of the subcontinent.

and Urdu also had a secular side; many non-Muslims all over have also patronized it.

Its only the blackmailing of the Bengali politicians which force through a regional language into the United Pakistani Currency notes, which is absolutely wrong as a principle.

i'm Bengali and i agree

The point here again West Pakistanis elites tries their level best to accommodates but the stubbornness in Bengal (Like today both Begums shows) is beyond anything sensible.

it is said that such leniency from West Pakistani leaders is what elevated the leftists in East Bengal who buried our Muslim culture underground, even as EPi Bengali leaders did not show such leniency. and Bangladeshis as a people have been suffering since.

 

[DRaisinHerald]

Stupid movement, nothing else to really say. Makes no sense even today.

 

[Sliver]

@khair_ctg do you mean to say that a Muslim in Bengal only speaks urdu? Can there not be a Bengali speaking Muslim?
Should being a Muslim with a Bengali heritage not be proud of his "bengali heritage" as well- which includes the language and cultural links to their past?

 

[khair_ctg]

@khair_ctg do you mean to say that a Muslim in Bengal only speaks urdu?

some. not all.

Can there not be a Bengali speaking Muslim?

i consider myself as one

Should being a Muslim with a Bengali heritage not be proud of his "bengali heritage" as well- which includes the language and cultural links to their past?

Bengali heritage has a large Muslim component. trying to exclude the Muslim part of Bengal heritage including things like Urdu is Muslimphobia

 

[Sliver]

some. not all.
Bengali heritage has a large Muslim component. trying to exclude the Muslim part of Bengal heritage including things like Urdu is Muslimphobia

You need to stop deciding what constitutes Muslimphobia, you try to brand everyone who doesnt agree with you as that.

Back to the discussion: SO according to you, a Bengali has to be a muslim or he has no rights to the bengali heritage (because you cannot exclude Muslim part from Bengal) but you have not answered - does muslim= urdu speaking? can there not be a Bengali speaking Muslim? a Bengali heritage Muslim need not speak urdu - right?

 

[haviZsultan]

Good riddance. Khair cheater cant be Pakistani again try whatever. Now dance

You never know my friend. Try not to gloat about the destruction of a muslim state that could have been the leader of the muslim world. Together we could achieve anything. And as for Pakistan and Bangladesh can never be one again. Well destiny is a strange thing.