"North Bengal has had a mediocre, bad and very bad system of Welfare schemes and Development roadmap"
Question :
We have assembly elections 2026 approaching fast. As a concerned citizen in Cooachbehar and someone connected to erstwhile Kingly-dynasty; what is your assessment of the region? Earlier, there was a demand for a separate administration but we do not find much happening on ground this time?
Kumar Jitendra Narayan:
That's not true. People still want it. On the contrary, the people's anxiety for the region has grown manifold. This is a neglected region in West Bengal. This is a general complain either in hilly region or in the foothill areas like ours. The frustration level is increasing by the day. I am a teacher by profession and that makes me worry more about the younger generation.
Question:
Can you elaborate more on these?
Kumar Jitendra Narayan:
Ki aar bolbo.... what more should I say? North Bengal and our Coochbehar region have had a mediocre, bad and very bad system of social welfare system and Development graph. For long we were neglected, ignored and discriminated. Whatever the history ... people of our region are also being very practical.
There is an overwhelming support for a separate State demand. But to be realistic, people would settle down for a Union Territory. I am including entire North Bengal... because I say any demand only for Coochbehar people because we had a legacy; the efforts will be futile. We keep interacting with people...
There are individual leaders who irrespective of social background and political affiliations will say that a new separate Administrative unit demand should not be ‘communalised’.
Even I admit... let us go for a broader North Bengal landscape. Like Rajbongshis have distinct and separate cultures, there are many other social groups and communities in our region. Language and even life styles are different than the ‘mainstream’ Bengali or South Bengal culture.
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| Blogger and Kumarji in premises of Coochbehar palace |
# Question:
This is an interesting area you have touched... why and how your culture is different from those in South Bengal or Kolkata region?
Kumar Jitendra Narayan:
These may appear as minor things. But they are important politically and to understand from a social perspective. People in mainstream South Bengal do not take dry fish... in fact they would hate it. But Rajbongshis are crazy about it.
Sidal is a type of dry fish delicacy which is very popular among Hindus and Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh like Sylhet and Mymensingh and also in Assam.
If you have interacted with Christian Rajbongsis you will find them practice prayer sessions sitting on floors and not chairs and tables as Christians normally do in northeast or in Kerala. Christians call their prayer session in Coochbehar -- the Upasana. This is a Bengali Hindu word.
Question :
To tell you frankly I was a bit surprised when Rajbongshi people in Coochbehar and other locations like Jalpaiguri and Siliguri were very happy after BJP decided to make Samik Bhattacharya as the West Bengal unit chief. After he assumed charge, he has rather surprised people by his remarks on Muslims. Do you think he should have said something special for North Bengal and Rajbongshi population?
Kumar Jitendra Narayan:
This is an important aspect of public discourse in West Bengal these days and our region is no exception. Maybe Samik Bhattacharya is trying to bring in a new political dialogue. Good luck to him.
But yes, in our Coochbehar region and entire North Bengal; people have certain expectations. Rajbongshis have these expectations all the more. Personally I agree Muslims are important political stakeholders in our state....
It is also true Bangladeshi influx is a matter of concern. Equally we all are worried the manner Muslims are becoming tools as well as victims of political violence. There was political violence in our region in 2021 too.
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| Kumar Jitendra Narayan in Museum premise |
Question:
Recently I interviewed a senior Forward Bloc leader in Sitai Shri Nripendra Nath Roy. He says after Kamal Guha, the North Bengal has not produced any leader. That means there is a social as well as political leadership vacuum?
Kumar Jitendra Narayan:
How can I deny about the leadership crisis? The conditions our region is in.... and the manner people are suffering even lack of good education and sound health care; the failures of all past masters and governments stand exposed. The law of the strongest .... created a faulty system. It made those with good number of MPs and MLAs will decide things. This deprived Coochbehar, Doars, Darjeeling hills and other parts of North Bengal.
You must be knowing about insurgency Kamtapur insurgency in North Bengal. This has happened with people who are least violent in this country. You should not forget discontent creates a fertile ground for violent narratives. Please handle it at the earliest.
ends
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