<<<Bengalis did not have a tradition of becoming >>>
Exept the Bangla Banias, the Saha,Raha,Naha.
Gujus,Mero's built for themselves -as always. Trickle down effect was the small gain.
Brit. merchant houses did their major work .
Tea HQ's,Tea Auction Centre, now-defunct port,Rail Start Centre, all help tilldate.
We still have to go to the 'CONTROL at Source' thru' the Culture and leftism flags.
The other day when Saurav Ganguly was removed from Test Cricket -there were placards"Bengal should leave India". But this got hushed very fast. They play their cards well.
mm
From: "Barua25" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Assam] Why Bengal is Underdeveloped
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 17:06:31 -0600
>Bengalis did not have a tradition of becoming little traders in the same way Marwaris and Gujaraties were.BB:Thanks. You did answer one important issue I was raising. That is the Tradition or lack of it.Another thing to be noted is that whatever success of West Bengal on trade and commerec have made is due manily to the condtribution made by the Gujaratis and Marwaris in West Bengal. Is that correct? I know there is a large community of these states in WB, but donot know how much is their contribution compared to the Bengalis.We are trying not to bring Race into the picture. But so far, we could not see anything other than Tradition.RB----- Original Message -----From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 3:52 PMSubject: Re: [Assam] Why Bengal is UnderdevelopedBarua Saheb & Other participants
The problem of West Bengalâs slow pace of industrial development in comparison with states like Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab etc requires careful study inside a well-stocked library. I do not have either the time or facilities for such a serious pursuit but I would like to discuss the matter with just a little commonsense.
Bengalis have always done well in the Anglo-Indian type of education introduced by the colonial rulers. So have the boys and girls of some other states where Universities were set up in the early 19th century. As one or two netters have pointed out Bengalis did not have a tradition of becoming little traders in the same way Marwaris and Gujaraties were. There were of course little businessmen here and there but they failed to become prosperous. So far as Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa are concerned, the Marwaris dominated the economy and local businessmen simply failed to compete with them.
At the time British quit India, the political climate of West Bengal was volatile. Even tea planters migrated elsewhere after India became free. The grand English shops like Whiteaways & Laidlow ( hope the name is right) simply disappeared. The sparkling Hogg Market became unrecognisable. A little away from the centre of the city one day I found a grand Victorian building in ruins used by hawkers and petty shopkeepers although the plaques bearing the name of a jeweller who worked for royalty, the Nawabs and the like were still there.
But modern buildings â those of glass and concrete â did replace many rambling Victorian structures following Independence, e g LIC buildings, the Indian Banks and so on. But on the buildingsâ wall you would have invariably found the slogans of political parties, the unions etc. The Indian businessmen of Kolkata decided to move elsewhere fearing a Communist take over. But unexpectedly when the Communist came, in particular under the leadership of Jyoti Basu, things improved, at least there was a genuine attempt by the Government to overhaul the corrupt and inefficient administration and bolster the economy. Basu went abroad a number of times seeking foreign investment with the blessings of Government of India. Normally a State Minister is constitutionally prohibited to do international negotiations. When Debeswar Sarmah, an Assam Government Minister threatened that he was going to build a refinery with Romanian help, he was chastised. Another instance is that of late Keshab Gogoi, another Assam Government Minister who was invited by the Japanese Government for discussion on a number of things after the visit of a Japanese team to Assam, Government of India did not allow Mr Gogoi to accept the invitation. I do not know how far Jyoti Basuâs trips abroad were successful.
However, the situation is not so bleak as our netters appear to have portrayed. As I said at the beginning I do not have facts and figures to support my claim. I know that West Bengal has done well as manufacturer of chemicals and drugs, in milk production, banking, housing development, book production, ceramics (the Bengal Potteries are stated to be best in India) and so on. I wish I had some official papers produced by the Government of West Bengal with me. I know that they have not done so badly. I am of course not comparing them with the Gujaratis or Keralites, etc.
Shifting of the capital from Kolkata to Delhi is certainly a factor for decline in West Bengalâs fortune in many ways. But that happened long ago and in spite of that West Bengal continued to prosper for the time being because of the concentration of the headquarters of some big companies in Kolkata for many years, and then the North-east became the hinterland of industrial Bengal.
Now Bangladesh is being praised for their healthier economy than Indiaâs. One of the reasons for this prosperity is the remittance of vast amounts of foreign money by the hardworking expatriate community, a majority of whom are perhaps in lowly jobs.
So far as educated Bengalis are concerned, whether NRI or not, they too contribute to West Bengal or Indiaâs economy by what they earn in various ways..I am afraid I have taken too much time knowing full well that brevity is the soul of wit!
Bhuban
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