Mamata wants to scrap 'west' from West Bengal and Bengalis are fuming on Twitter
Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, gestures during a news conference. Photo: Reuters
West Bengal may be in an alphabetical soup. Literally.
With chief minister Mamata Banerjee having decided to scrap the "west" out of West Bengal and likewise "paschim" from Paschim Banga (the name in Bengali), Bengalis, and Indians in general, will have to deal with one more disorienting blow to their address-related inertia.
Banerjee's decision, couched in the legislative language of her state cabinet meeting minutes, is about orchestrating a coup d'état of sort and coming right in the beginning of the name list of Indian states. From West Bengal to Bengal would mean a jump from W to B, a lightyear in bureaucratic babu-speak, and Didi is all set to achieve that shortcut to efficiency.
"In order to place our demands better in various central meetings, we have decided to rename our state as Bangla or Bengal. We will hold a special assembly session for this purpose on August 26," informed state education minister Partha Chatterjee after the cabinet meeting.
Bongo? Bongo! Are you kidding me? But at least now we can call the residents Bongs without being accused of political incorrectness ????????
— Seema Goswami (@seemagoswami) August 2, 2016
I am told that some in West Bengal want their state to be renamed as Bongo. Can I please introduce a motion to prefix that with Coco?
— Shubhashish (@shubHASHISH) August 2, 2016
Mamata Banerjee, no doubt, wants to override the months of wait that the "w" - 26th on the list of states - has been subjecting West Bengal to, with state officials and even the ministers complaining of unbelievably long delays they have faced for meetings with the "Centre", even at basic bureaucratic levels.
The (West) Bengal state government has decided to call for a special Assembly session to discuss this issue on August 26. Once a resolution is passed in the state Assembly, it will be sent to the Central government for consideration.
Mamata is done scraping the bottom of the barrel, evidently.
The Govt of Bongo sounds like the name of a wannabe shack on one edge of Anjuna BeachThis is madness.
— IndiaSpeaks (@IndiaSpeaksPR) August 2, 2016
Alphabetically oopar aane ki itni hi chull hai toh state ka naam 'Aami Low Self-Esteem' hi kar do. #Banga #Mamata pic.twitter.com/AUbSggBoHs
— Aisi Taisi Democracy (@AisiTaisiDemo) August 2, 2016
But Bengalis are no stranger to such renaming stints. Calcutta - the centre of the imperial British India and its long-cherished capital - was summarily rechristened Kolkata to be more in tune with the subaltern Bongs themselves, not the high-flying Park Street or Golf Green elites.
Though, this crème de la crème brown sahib-ed Bong cabal fights back, when pushed to a corner. Recently, the Calcutta High Court shored up a unanimous refusal to be renamed "Kolkata High Court", as a last ditch effort to hold on to a more cosmopolitan, pre-shopping mall past.
West Bengal - BongoHow it all started https://t.co/BUAqOv5Jls??
— Village Idiot (@ViIlageldiot) August 2, 2016
Bangla is Good, but definitely not BONGOoBongo is an instrument that is played (Bajano hoe)!Do not want people 2 crack dirty pun about it
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) August 2, 2016
But even then, the criticisms never go away. While the Anglophiles fret and frown, the ordinary middle and poorer class Bengali, often the migrant from West Bengal's sprawling villages fighting land acquisition drive and lack of opportunities, latch on to their newfound Kolkata - the city of the twice born "glocal" native.
For the economic top layer though, it's a tough sentimental education it still scoffs at.
West Bengal will be either #Bangla or #Bongo. Now who the hell smoked a bong and suggested this name.I hope its Bongo so that all can Bajao!
— Mrityunjay Singh (@indomitablesoul) August 2, 2016
I think the way bomb making industry is flourishing in bengal,it should be named Bombo. #Bongo
— one tip one hand (@OneTipOneHand_) August 2, 2016
17 August 1947 :: Radcliffe Boundary Line For Partition of Bengal Revealed #Bongo (Photo - @britishlibrary ) pic.twitter.com/EZQwiJNWkh
— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) August 2, 2016
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| The name will changed from Paschim Bongo to only Bongo. |
They are renaming West Bengal to Bengal coz parents were tired of explaining kids why it is named West Bengal even though it's in East
— Aakash (@PUNchayati) August 2, 2016
Only benefit I can see after the change of name from West Bengal to Bengal is that I dont have to scroll down to get my state's name.
— #ItsMyBdayMonth (@vaishali_45) August 2, 2016