RAJBANSHI PRIDE

During the Freedom struggle, Rajbanshis of North Bengal or Koch Rajbanshis Assam took part in all activities under the banner of Indian National Congress. Even the native Rajbanshis of the princely State of Cooch Behar unconditionally actively supported the Congress party in pursuance of freedom. Numerous Rajbanshi people courted arrest during different stages of the freedom struggle. Most of these people had deep faith on the Congress Party that spearheaded the freedom struggle. Indian Independence Act, at last was passed in British Parliament on the 18 th July 1947 and India became a free nation on the 15 th August 1947. The kingdom of Cooch Behar, which was reduced to a much smaller in size, by a document signed by Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan, ceded it to the free India on the 28 th August 1949. Subjects of the erstwhile king of Cooch Behar were given all possible of assurances by the leadership of Dominion of India for overall development and fulfilling social-economic-politi...

Written in Rajbanshi / Kamatapuri Language  (This article is taken from my recently published book 'পোহাতিয়া  তারা' Pohatiya Tara) রাজবংশী ক্ষত্রিয় জাতির গৌরব, সম্প্রদায়ের মান-সম্মানের রক্ষাকর্তা, দেশের সুপুত্র - সেই মহান মনীষীর জন্ম হয় স্যালাকার কোচবিহার রাইজ্যের অধীনত মাথাভাঙ্গা সাব-ডিভিসন,   খলিসা মারি গ্রামত ইংরাজী ১৮৬৬ সালের ১৩ই ফেব্রুয়ারী (১লা ফাল্গুন ১২৭২ বঙ্গাব্দ, মঙ্গলবার) | অর বাপের নাম ছিল খোসাল চন্দ্র সরকার, খলিসা মারির এক জোতদার; আর আয়ীর নাম ছিল চম্পলা দেবী | বাইল্য কালে অর নাম দ্যাওয়া হইচিল পঞ্চানন সরকার | পঞ্চানন যাতে লেখাপড়া শিখিয়া   মানুষ হবা পারে , তার জৈন্ন অর পিতা খোসাল চন্দ্র সরকার তার বেটা পঞ্চাননের পড়াশুনার প্রতি খুবে আগ্রহী ছিল |             শিশুকালে অর পড়াশুনা শুরু হয় গ্রামের পাঠশালাত (প্রাইমারী স্কুল) | প্রাইমারী স্কুল পাস করিবার পর, অর পিতা   খোসাল চন্দ্র সরকার পন্চাননক ভর্তি করিয়া দ্যায় মাথাভাঙ্গা   মিডল ইংলিশ স্কুলত, যেইটা খলিসামারি থাকিয়া প্রায় ১০ কিলোমিটার দূরত ছিল | ইং ...

  Introduction: Once a Lingua Franca,   a common language used for communication among the kingdoms in northeastern India during medieval period, now spoken over 15 million people living across Indian states spread over a major regional portion of Assam, present day North Bengal, north-eastern districts of Bihar and parts of neighbouring countries viz. northern Bangladesh, north-eastern districts of Nepal and in parts of Bhutan. As per the report ‘Linguistic Survey of India’, a linguistic survey carried out by British administrator Sir George Abraham Grierson from 1903-1928, this Indo-Aryan language was mentioned as Rajbanshi, a dialect of Bengali. However, it is now an established fact that Rajbanshis and Bengalis do not belong to same social group and hence, Rajbanshi is not a dialect of Bengali language. Rajbanshi language in Assam existed before the evolution of Assamese language. It is a full fledged language and as such this language deserves due recognition. ...

  Political participation, as we understand is that all those activities relating to state governance which people carry out, voices they raise, opinions they express and take part in decision making which affect their lives. When, it comes to Rajbanshi group of people (all communities having different surnames but speaking same language - Kamtapuri / Rajbanshi and having same social habits) of North Bengal and adjacent areas of Lower Assam, Northern districts Bihar and neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bangladesh, undoubtedly their political participation does exist, but that can be said to be in subdued form. Their total population across these contiguously located countries and states is almost two crores (20 million) and, in North Bengal of West Bengal state alone (where they are categorized as scheduled caste (SC) are no less than seventy lakhs (7 million). To save these people from further becoming politically alienated from the mainstream political system, immediate poli...

Significance of 28 th August, 1949 [Excerpts from ‘Koch Rajbanshi Kamtapuri – The Truth Unveiled’ written by Self (Capt. Nalini Ranjan Ray)]   During the Freedom struggle, Rajbanshis of North Bengal or Koch Rajbanshis Assam took part in all activities under the banner of Indian National Congress. Even the Koch-Rajbanshis of the princely State of Cooch Behar unconditionally (and) actively supported the Congress party in pursuance of freedom. Numerous Koch or Rajbanshi people courted arrest during different stages of the freedom struggle. Most of these people had a blind faith on the Congress Party that spearheaded the freedom struggle. Indian Independence Act, at last was passed in British Parliament on 18 th July 1947 and India became a free nation on 15 th August 1947. The kingdom of Cooch Behar, which was reduced to a much smaller in size, by a document (Agreement) signed by Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan (with the Dominion of India) , ceded it to the Dominion of India on ...

Introduction In an epochal sense, Rajbanshis played a big role in Indian society during mythological period for which testimonies galore in Indian old scriptures; ancient history which was glorious having no doubt about it; medieval period that made entire northeastern oriental states were made to unify with mainland India by ancestors of Koch Rajbanshis; and then, significant contributions by number of oriental/ princely states and fiefdoms the known modern history. Then, of course, their downfall started towards the end of the reign of Koch kings at Cooch Behar which culminated with the merger of the princely state with the dominion of free India in 1949 and downfall has been continuing even today. History of a large Indian human stream, the Rajbanshi group of communities is hardly taught in schools, colleges – why that’s the million-dollar question in Indian polity today. However, as I perceive, while Indian democracy is maturing today in India and political gimmicks are at thei...