Where do Rajbanshi People stand today socially?


The Rajbanshis are in a great dilemma over their socio-political stand. During pre-independence days, they chose to fight for freedom regardless of their political affiliation. Indian National Congress party was the major party most of them chose to join. Bengali freedom fighters inspired them the most. Feeling of alienation was absent among these people like any other people of north east. Aim was very clear and it was attaining freedom. Rajbanshis felt like the one of any other Bengali. The educated lot had already identified them as mainstream Bengali. But they were destined to remain a separate community soon after the nation’s attaining freedom. Still, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy endeavoured to make the Rajbanshis a part of mainstream Bengali. Due to his efforts, they sided with Dr. Roy and became a part of Bengal. Might be that there was no other choice also. Slowly but surely, the gap between the mainstream Bengali and Rajbanshi Bengalis became wider and wider. For all practical purposes, there exists a big difference between south and north in the West Bengal State. They stand nowhere now.
It is a hush-hush matter for an educated Rajbanshi to reveal his/her identity as a low and backward caste as he or she is officially known to be so or speaking in own mother tongue and once the lingua franca of a vast Koch-Kamtapur Empire - Rajbanshi language in any gathering of educated lot. He or she, either speaks in Bengali in Bengal or Assamese in Assam quite unwilling to reveal the identity, which once proudly spoken by the great people of Kamrup-Kamta-Pundra. Now, it is all just aloofness, dejection, sadness and unassuming feelings that have totally engulfed a Rajbanshi. It is all ‘give in’ socio-economic-political policy followed by most of educated Rajbanshi, freely exploitable by any Tom, Dick and Harry, literally. It is a common practice now that their educated lot or the elite groups per force leave their own society disgusted as most of them feel that the common Rajbanshis are incorrigible in their attitude towards the cause of betterment of their community. It appeared to them that common Rajbanshis are getting carried away with the impressive lectures of local political leaders, who assure them basic needs for living and remain loyal to them. It is a height of poverty that can be seen in Rajbanshi community.  It so happens in rural North Bengal and Bihar that a poor Rajbanshi in trouble often falls on the feet of an influential local political or social leader of any community, addresses him as 'Father' to seek his blessings to get some material benefit. This unique practice is called 'Bapdai' in local parlance meaning establishing a relationship of father and son is otherwise taken as good but these days this is done either due to poverty or whenever in deep trouble. These are some of the reasons as to why educated lot or the elite Rajbanshis are unhappy about their common brethren. Also, for them it is difficult to make a common Rajbanshi to understand that besides the basic needs, socio-economic, cultural and political rights are must for their improvement.
Modern day mainstream caste Hindu Bengali youth are more concerned about globalization, information technology and fashion than to know about the socio-economic, political and other problems related to the Rajbanshi community as such. However, many a research scholars from mainstream caste Hindu Bengali, other communities even foreign scholars evince keen interests to know much more about Rajbanshis, which is a positive sign for the this hapless community. Hope, truth prevails soon and these people get their due status in Indian society.

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