Ghotis

Ghoti (Template:Lang-bn; a.k.a. Pôshchim Bôngiyô; transl. West Bengali) is a term used to refer a social group of Bengali people native to the Indian states of West Bengal and Jharkhand.

etymology

Among the Bengalis of India, the terms "Ghoti" and "Bangal" are used as social sub-groups denoting the ancestral origin of a family.

The word "Ghoti" has been in use since at least the early 18th century. Although all Ghotis are ethno-linguistically Bengali, the term does not refer to a single distinct population and was not primarily bound by religion. It geographically and historically refers to all the Bengali inhabitants of the western part of the historical region of Bengal.

In history and popular culture, West Bengal includes the land west of the Padma River (an eastward-flowing tributary of the Ganges), such as the Jessore and Khulna districts of Bangladesh, and almost the entire Indian state of West Bengal. Jessore and Khulna were Hindu-majority districts that were included in Pakistan during the partition of Bengal, and Muslim-majority Murshidabad was included in India to resolve mutual border issues.

history

The term began to be used since 1947 when India gained independence and the region of Bengal was partitioned. The historical homeland of the Ghoti people, the western half of Bengal became the state of West Bengal, and the eastern part became East Bengal or East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh). In 1971, Bangladesh became a nation after independence from East Pakistan.

During or even before Partition and the Bangladesh War of Independence, millions of Hindu Bengalis fled East Pakistan and Bangladesh due to religious persecution and political repression by the majority Muslim population. As the population density increased in West Bengal, these Bengali refugees competed for housing, food and employment.

The term "Ghoti" was popularized by these refugees to denote the local population as well as the culture of the related local inhabitants, aspects of which differed significantly from those of East Bengal. Later, the local population, which was economically better off and controlled most of the land and labor resources, internalized the term. This arose out of their desire and need to socially differentiate them from newcomers, who were discriminated against.

Another consequence of this massive religious migration of the 20th century was the complete erasure of the "Muslim Ghoti", which led to religious persecution on both sides of the border. Some Bengali Muslims living in the western part of the region left India for Bangladesh. After Bangladesh's independence, its founders hailed the country's national cultural identity as a singularly Bangladeshi nationalism without regional cultural affiliations. Thus, some Bangladeshi Muslims identify with their cultural heritage roots and those in West Bengal are culturally identified only as Muslims and Bengalis.

After 1980 Most members of both groups live in India, mostly in West Bengal. As the term "Ghoti" or "Bangal" now bears little relation to actual geography, the term is used freely and is no longer considered derogatory among these social classes. The distinctive differences between Ghotis and Bangals and their rivalry are now part of the larger culture of West Bengal. Millions of Bengalis in modern-day India now have both Ghoti and Bangal heritage, with high levels of intermarriage between these communities for the previous four decades.[citation needed]

Apparently the differences I have seen are:-

Ghoti Vs Bangals

1) Divide as a river, not a border.

Ghoti = the people of the west bank of the Padma, and includes Khulna, Jessore.

Bangal = the people of the eastern bank of the Padma, but it also includes Barisal and Faridpur.

2) Ghotis worship Lakshmi on Diwali day, Bangals worship Kali.

3) There are many other sayings, Jhal vs sweet, Ghotis don't spend, Bangals are hotheaded etc., these were once true but are becoming irrelevant with time, at least in urban life.

Ghoti of Gangapar and Bangal of Padmapar

The Bengalis who live to the south (right side) of the Ganga and its tributary Padma are Ghotis. And those who live to the north (to the left) of the Padma river are the Bengalis. Judging by the statistics, something like that stands. But in West Bengal, the original inhabitants are called Ghotis, and those who came from the other side of Bengal are called Bangals.

Difference of Culture and Traditions

The dialect, folk traditions (Lokchar) and cuisine of the Ghotis are distinct from Bangals or former native of East Bengal.

Initially, there was a long cultural and sociological conflict between the tribes and the refugees. Ghotis use their Bengali pronunciation and locally some local dialects and figures of speech not commonly used by Bangals.

• religious practice

The religious practices of the Ghoti family differ significantly from those of other Hindu families in the state. On the day of Kali Puja, Ghotis perform Lakshmi Puja (only in most homes). On the other hand, Bangals celebrate Lakshmi Puja on the fifth day after Durga Puja.[citation needed]

• Religious Demography of Ghotis and Bangals

Around 50 Million Hindu Population among Bengalis are Ghotis (Majority) while Around 25 - 30 Million are Bangals (Minority) [bengali Hindus].

Bangals are Majority & While Ghotis are Minority among Bengalis Muslims.

• Kitchen & cooking

A large portion of sweets in the whole kitchen, as is the case in the entire Bengal region. Sponge rasogolla (like sweet rasgolla), sweet curd, ladykeni (sweet), langcha, moa of Jayanagar, rasmalai, pantua, jalvara talshas, mihidana, raskadam, rajbhog and gopalbhog among others are known and one of the major staple cultures of Ghotis originated in West Bengal.

As for seafood, as an important ingredient in Bengali cuisine, ghoti People (prawns), commonly known as prawns, is used in a wide variety of prawn malai curries. In contrast, Bengalis share a love for hilsa fish, (known as 'hilsa' in West Bengal).

The Ghotis are also known for a large number of dishes including 'posto' (poppy seeds) in their cuisine.

Sports culture

Traditionally, West Bengal has been a major centre for football and a longstanding rivalry between Ghoti and Bangal people on the football field have been a hallmark of the larger social friction between the groups.

In a typical season, the clubs currently meet at least 3 times a year; twice in the Indian Super League and once in the Calcutta Football League. The ultimate showdown between the teams takes place during the annual Kolkata Derby, which features in FIFA's classic derby list.

The primary venue of the match—the 85,000-seat Salt Lake Stadium—has remained sold out on match day, for decades. The Kolkata Police Force has in recent years maintained strict supervision after riots between fans claimed lives on multiple occasions. Often the clubs also meet in other competitions like the Federation/Super Cup, the IFA Shield, and the Durand Cup among others.

See also

• Rarhi dialect
• Manbhumi dialect
• Partition of India
• Partition of Bengal (1947)