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Many are of the view that Bengalis are ashamed of speaking in Bengali. But is the same pride being translated when it comes to their mother tongue? “Do you speak in Bengali when you walk into a glitzy shop in a top-notch mall in Kolkata? – asks Kamal, a budding poet who regularly contributes to a Bengali little magazine. Bengali heritage and culture, its literature and music are matters of great pride for any traditional Bengali. In fact, Bengalis are sensitive, rather touchy about their “Bengaliness”. Bengalis Are Ashamed to Speak in Bengali? Or Is Bengali Really Losing its Relevance among its YouthĪsk any outsider who would tell you that Bengalis do not take lightly to criticisms about their culture and heritage.  “And we are the ones slitting its throat” — its Doyel again. And while we raise storm in a teacup, the language of Tagore, Nazrul, Bhibhutibhusan and many more literary stalwarts whose contributions has made Bangla what it is today, is dying a progressive death. While the dichotomy of the views can be uncomfortable for many, not many can deny that these opposites exist in the world of Bengalis today, especially those living in Kolkata and West Bengal. “My son has to learn English to be able to do something big in life.” “What would you achieve from learning Bangla? How many speak that language anymore?” quips Prabir.

Prabir, a small-time draughtsman in a medium-sized publishing house and his wife, a Bengali teacher in a government school, is working night and day to put their little son in an English medium school. Let us shift our focus to our very own city of joy, Kolkata.

“After all, your mother tongue is a vital part of who you are, your identity – tomar parichay!” says a charged up Doyel. She was determined to grow up Diti on the golden treasure trove that Bengali literature is. “My first thoughts were, she would not be able to read Sukumar Ray! How is that even possible?” Doyel’s next stop was the bookshop of the most popular Bengali publisher in Chittaranjan Park. As a thoroughbred “Bangali”, it was difficult for Doyel to digest the fact that her daughter will not learn Bengali as a language. Diti was admitted to a Delhi school where she had to take up Hindi as her second language. Doyel’s daughter, Diti was 3 years when the family had moved to Delhi.