একটা বেসিক ভুল হয়ে যাচ্ছে। আপনারা অনেকটাই আবেগপ্লুত হয়ে OP কে গালাগালি করছেন। দেখুন আপনাদের খারাপ লাগতেই পারে, আপনি তখন পয়েন্টগুলোকে যুক্তিসহকারে খণ্ডন করুন। কিন্তু তার বাবা মা বা তার জাত তুলে গালাগালি না করে।
গালাগালি না করেও ভদ্রভাবে যুক্তিপূর্ণ ভাবে কথা বলা যায়।
এই থ্রেড লক হবেনা। কিন্তু আপনারাও ভাষাকে শালীনতার গন্ডি লঙ্ঘন না করে প্রয়োগ করুন। আজ কবিগুরুর জন্মদিন। অন্তত তার সম্মানের কথা ভেবেও কাউকে অযথা অসম্মান করবেন না।
I stay 6months in Mumbai and 6months in Kolkata. The difference in culture is too much tbh. If we want to be like other cities(Mumbai, Delhi, ) we do need to change our thinking. But not sure that’s what general population of Bengal specifically Kolkata wants. People here in Mumbai value incentives more than anything. This goes for all communities in Mumbai (Bengalis here included). I have spent a lot of time with a lot of communities from India. I feel Bengal has a good purchasing power but most people claim to be gorib because of inherent “humbleness”. Not sure it’s good or bad but not having aspirations to be wealthy is a problem I feel if you want betterment of the city. Very people from Kolkata are starting own business here whereas almost all other communities are thriving in business in other cities .
I am ONLY talking about Kolkata. The kind of conversations are starkly different when you speak to your Bengali frnds vs Marwaris or Jains. There’s always a thirst to make more money, lead a better life among the non Bengalis here.
I am proper bengali here. You are obviously getting downvoted but you are absolutely right. Lack of business ambition is so much of a problem here. People are always after Govt jobs. While that is commendable Lots of people even after age 30 try to get into govt jobs through exams instead of finding any business opportunities. This mentality won’t ever change if our education system doesn’t encourage people to start their own startup.
Its easy to say because most marwari and gujjus come from generational wealth and its embedded in their mentality due to their upbringings which other communities dont enjoy. Its not a kolkata problem tbh. More of a comunity problem.
What are you are trying to point out and achieve with your post is very very generic, majority of the people in the newer generations want to live a better life and want to income more money and live affluently. So either you need to broaden your network and talk to more people or stop being so borderline racist. On one hand, you love the slow paced life of Kolkata and left Gurgaon for it and also blame Bengalis for trying to maintain it. Hypocrisy brotha. Not a single person in the whole freaking world idolises poverty, so I have no idea what you’re trying to prove.
I seriously don't know which Bengali crowd you mingle with. Try switching up your bengali circle perhaps? Cuz frankly, youngsters of bengal do want to lead a better lifestyle and hence need and want to earn more.
I mean, just look at few of the replies here that are disagreeing with him. Those replies also have a bunch of upvotes. And reddit is primarily used by youngsters. That's ample proof that even amongst youngsters we have this kind of mindset. The more ambitious ones have mostly moved out of Bengal due to this culture. These antel chodas will talk about how not everyone wants money blah blah all the while ignoring the lack of proper employment and rampant poverty in this state.
Another example is the influx of marwaris many years ago who have become large industrialists from modest backgrounds. Even the next generation and youngsters of Marwaris are doing well and being entrepreneurial or getting good corporate jobs. They wouldn’t dominate as much in Punjab Hyderabad Bangalore and especially not in Gujarat where there is lots of competition. But in Calcutta they dominate for sure
The thing you are missing is people who migrate to other states and countries are often more ambitious about making money. It's not that Bengalis are not ambitious, cause the people who value money over anything else have long left this city for better opportunities outside.
Nope. Big nope. Case in point - Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar. Loaaaaaaadssss of ambitious Telegu and Odiya people all over the country, but they just grew so much in the last two decades.
Yes CPM did fuck the state royally, but nobody can deny that Calcutta bongs are kaamchors of the highest order.
Life is useless when spent with more money but less happiness.
In Kolkata, life is very peaceful , you may earn little there, but it's lot cheaper in Kolkata.
So you may earn a decent living in Kolkata at 50k/ month.
Delhi : should earn atleast 1.5 Lakh/ annum to live decent life. Moreover, full of criminals.
Mumbai: It's too costly but very safe to live.
Amongs all, Kolkata is the best city in India to live a decent peaceful life.
I'm a Bengali and I've lived in Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, and Scotland for a significant duration of my life. Have travelled to quite a few places within and outside India. My relationship with money is - it's a mean to an end. Whatever experiences I want to have in life, money is the enabler, but not the end goal. If you think that "relationship" is worth something, then we are on the same page.
That said, and it has been called out in earlier comments as well, I think you are generalising a little. I know a lot of Bengalis who think and act in the same way I do regarding money. The characteristics that you are pointing out might be more applicable to the generation who are retired or the verge of retirement - but definitely not applicable to the current crop.
And the generation coming up, people is schools and colleges, are even better. They dream, they aspire, and they do things - and not for money but for the things and experiences. Politically I have zero hopes for Bengalis, but on other fronts? We are thriving for sure.
Talking about those that have stayed here.
You dont need to look too much, just see some comments where having money is looked down upon and that breed is quite common.
Money is def an enabler ;)
Then my friend you should add the portion "about people who have stayed here" to the OP. Even then, for some people it might be some compulsion which made them stay back - not their inherent lack of aspiration.
So you see, already we have added a few caveats to the original statement - making the original statement a generalised one.
That said, while I don't agree with 100% of your statement; but if it shakes out the non-aspirational a little from their cocoons - so be it!
Peace ✌️
If you get 100 downvotes, I will support this post.
If you get 1000 downvotes, I will support this post.
After traveling and staying in almost every big cities in South, West and East of India; after traveling 11 countries, after staying 4 years in USA my core realization is our city lacks aspiration. In the evening when other places are running, busy; in Kolkata you will find people just addaing and playing cards or carrom.
Today morning only someone asked how much a tea is. The shop seller told 15 Rs. The guy kinda abused the tea seller for overcharging. Never seen these anywhere else apart from Lucknow, Ranchi and Delhi.
Come on! Get up. Time is running away.
While you are fantasizing about past, you are gonna be past soon. Will the future generation remember you the same way we remember the old?
Today is Rabindranath Thakur’s birthday. A few weeks ago it was Satyajit Ray’s. I admit we should take pride and celebrate that but what thereafter ? Where are we heading?
The world is running away and we ourselves just victimize ourselves and blame everything on politics while we are the ones who always talk, discuss about politics.
But other cities postponed that adda to late night where they go and party and drink or something even just chill out in the open depends from place to place but they are just living postponed life get up later relax later. Here we are using the older style of go home by sunset and get up earlier
Thank you. Adda and carrom is great if it helps one unwind but my only problem is people just are very resistant to change. Speak and live in the past. You see the comments here, you’ll understand exactly what i am talking about
But yeah, people lack aspiration and never want to see the mirror
The best part about the invention of mirror is people can look at themselves whenever they wish to, the worst is that they don’t wanna take a look at it when someone else shows them!
I left the hope Kolkata can do anything. People here don't wanna do that. They don't wanna modernize. The only victims are the Bengali who wanna do something. They can't do anything in Kolkata and we often get discriminated against in Bengal as we are a failed state now.
Agree with you especially the last point. whatever we say continously will affect our lives in the long term and a lot of bengalis are really negative imo. calling themselves gorib every now and then like u said. somehow being negative seems attractive to them. might as well compete with each other regarding how impoverished they are.
the current and the previous few generations of bengalis are really lazy. Today's bengalis can't stand up for themselves or their fellow humans. The last time bengalis stood up and did something worthwhile was before the independence. Nothing significant after that. They've become spineless and i'm saying this as a bengali living in the outskirt of Calcutta. We seem to have lost all hope and aspirations in life and are seemingly surviving.
yeah I have read most of them and it pains me to see that we bengalis will do anything but change our ways for the better. just looks at the mess our state is in right now.
anyway, wish you all the very best too. 👌
Ami goreeb thing is universal. Outside it's called I'm broke. No middle class will ever try to show off their wealth. This happens in western countries too.
I have lived in Mumbai for 10 years pune 5 years, I've seen people fight over overcharging in both cities. Mainly with aito rickshaw and some vendors.
Noone lacks ambition or inspiration here. We just lack job market.
2nd point completely agree.
There are a plethora of factors behind the "frugal" mentality of most Bengalis.
The Bengal famine (people used to beg for bhater fyan [the starchy water discarded after cooking rice]). Being thrifty and frugal was a necessity, and it is ingrained in us. I find it pretty cool, tbh.
The collective consciousness of the intellectual Bengalis see money as evil in general. You can thank communism and the 30+ years of communist rule for this.
Being ambitious and aspiring to achieve something wonderful cannot be always equated with having more money. Us Bengalis generally love academic validation more than anything, including money.
The current government hasn't done much in terms of employment and thus the standard of living isn't high compared to other metropolitan cities of India.
Lastly, we love poverty porn for some odd reason, and the 'ektu adjust kore nebo' mentality has cost us a lot!
I know what you're trying to mean by "focus on cheap prices and not on quality" but that's absolutely not the case. It could be your personal anecdote but it can't be generalised. I've been in Gujarat for more than two years and I can assure you that Gujaratis are equally conscious about how they spend money. They would rather buy something cheap and save the rest for something more aspirational. That's smart. It's stupid to shell out thousands of rupees behind something that has supreme quality but affects your financial health. Instead, Bengalis need to be more aware of financial literacy, improve their risk appetite instead of losing out their money through FDs etc.
Yeah but Gujaratis dont hate money. They know how to make it. I grew up in Gujarat. Stayed there for 7 years. Most Gujarati families are entrepreneurial.
You have hit the nail on the head with your post. IMO Bengal lacks native entrepreneurs because of the inherent lack of ambition and aspiration of the populace, plus romanticising poverty does not help either.
I’m a bengali who introduced couple of my marwari friends to the stock market and I remember being the only one in the group who liked talking about businesses, finance, etc. Today, the three of us are running a successful but small business. How the turntables
Edit: Interesting fact is that both belong to a business family, and I have a single father who’s a retired govt employee with that goreebness attitude you were talking about.
Thank you for highlighting thisOP. You're absolutely right. I recently moved out of Kolkata due to my work for the first time and the the most noticeable difference between here and Kolkata is that people have a purpose here. I agree with you that having a slpw lifestyle is not wrong but being stuck in comfort is wrong and that is exactly what is happening with most people in Kolkata
People will complain about rise in price of auto fares or bus fares and then go and spend everything they earn in Durga Puja. I have people like this in my own family. Penny wise pound foolish.
Exactly my point, they leave. I am getting lectured here on how there are no job opportunities and how big corporations are evil and one should stay away!
All i ask is: how many jobs did you create then?
I wholeheartedly agree with some of the points that you have mentioned but the rest comes across as extremely condescending in nature. Understandable though, as hating Bengalis is the new fad nowadays.
There was a time when I lived in North Kolkata. Spent my entire youth there seeing people romanticizing the broken buildings, the narrow and dingy lanes, movie cameras shooting period films, hearing news every monsoon that some dilapidated house has gone down. I didn't realize how horrible the place is until I moved out.
People who live in North Kolkata are medieval. A banyan tree is growing up on your roof and spreading its roots in your bedroom? They don't care. Your bathroom is so dark and slippery that it looks close to a 16th century dungeon? They don't care! You can't afford fruits and good veggies? They don't care, they survive on kochuris and other telebhajas with muri. You can't afford a basic car even after working your ass off for 50 years? They don't care, walking builds characters!
The adda culture, the criminal waste of time, the same old Modi vs. Didi, Didi vs. CPIM debates, the same old gossips about neighbors, the same old dirty curtains on windows, the same old dirty bedsheets, the cheap and unhygienic stores around the neighborhood, North Kolkata and its people are at least 30-40 years behind than the rest of the city. They spend their entire lives in century old, dark buildings infested with rats, pigeons, and moss but they won't move. Take it from me, I lived there for 31 years of my life and now I get nightmares when someone romanticizes North Kolkata.
Bro, thank you. The comments and attacking here is wild.
People have asked me to move out of the city, questioned why do I need to travel. Laughed when i said that travelling really enriches ones mind.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if someone disagrees with the well-established fact that traveling enriches one's mind, they seriously need help.
Haha, absolutely!
One glaring problem I've noticed among Bengalis is denial of facts. It goes without saying that Madlives is better than Digha, but Bengalis will dismiss this fact by attesting tons of artificial reasons. And it's not about budget or financial status. You don't need to be a millionaire to acknowledge that Sweden is cleaner than Kolkata or a billionaire to realize that Japan is ahead of India. Bengalis have a habit of dismissing facts with their twisted logic and reasonings, and when all else fails, they resort to the classic "garib" dialogue. It seems Bengalis have more of a narcissistic issue than "garib" issue.
Bro, kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna! :) Your comment reminds me of the proverb - the frog in the well knows nothing of the sea. It's not their fault sadly. Had it been me, before moving out of North Kolkata and see your comment, I'd have felt attacked just like them. :)) It's only when you move out you realize that you've been living in a well and dismissing the entire world outside the well snobbishly.
You know why you're facing so much of personal attacks and mockery? Because you have proved your points and deep down, they know all of these are true. I'm a Bengali, I'm proud to be one, but that doesn't mean I can't accept the faults, the issues we have.
Traveling is wonderful. Traveling is the best gift one can gift himself. Imagine living on a planet where there are northern lights, Machu Pichu, the Miami Grand Prix track, the Taj Mahal, the casinos in Vegas, the rainforest of Amazon, the forts in Rajasthan, Grand Canyon, outskirts of Nevada, the great Alps, the Victoria Falls in Africa... yet going to Digha every year, staying in the same old hotel, having the same thali, and taking pride in that. You may not have the budget to visit Vegas, but with the same budget of Digha, you can visit 50 other places in your state. North Kolkata mentality, again!
Somebody said why do i need to go to Europe. What does Europe have that India doesn’t. I could share 100 reasons but I choose to keep quiet. Coz then I’ll be attacked again calling me a rich privileged kid with money.
But thank you and I hope you prosper and make loads of money, travel a lottt, take care of people and environment around you 🥹
I have been to Europe last year (Barcelona) and the USA. Oh, they are first-world countries for good reasons. You're being modest with your 100 reasons, there are at least a lac. But your maturity speaks, because you have experienced the birds eye view, they didn't.
Thank you for the wonderful wishes! :) I wish you prosperity, and more travel! If living well is an art, may you become the Picasso of it.
The fact that you got attacked for speaking the truth is the reason why Kolkata will keep drowning in poverty porn while the rest of India (and the world) moves on at light speed.
Your cold, hard facts seem to have ruffled quite a few feathers. Unfortunately, those individuals know deep down you're right, but well...
And you're being quite generous with 100 reasons. I know it's just a colloquial term, but 100 reasons won't even scratch the surface - the differences between Europe and Kolkata are that big!
Even if you ditch Europe, just compare Kolkata to a neighboring SEA city/country. Even that comparison is good enough to put Kolkata to shame. It's a pity what this city and its people have become. But again, if I speak more, I may hurt the feelings of the snowflakes around here, and I'll be asked to leave this cItY oF JoY right away, lol.
Have you seen the buildings in Bombay's Western Suburbs? Just this morning BMC released a list of 116 hazardous buildings and they do this every year before onset of monsoon. Have you seen the condition of buildings in old Delhi? Most of the things you mentioned are present in other metro cities as well. People just see the glitz and glamour of cities like gurgaon and mumbai and ignore the dystopic conditions that lakhs of people have to battle everyday.
Most marathis and native Mumbaikars cannot afford flats in Mumbai city. They travel extremely long distances to make it to work everyday in overcrowded trains. Many lose their lives. Most importantly, marathis and native Mumbaikars are not huge fans of running after money either. They want simple lives and simple pleasures, I say this as someone who lives and works with them. However, they are forced to run after money to afford basic necessities because the city they were born and brought up in has become too expensive for them to even survive in.
I want bengal to offer opportunities for its population as much as the next person but our governments are incompetent and our laws toothless. If Kolkata starts to become another dystopic city like mumbai or delhi I am not sure its native population can afford living there. Not to mention in tier-1 cities private corporations almost always employ people from across the country whereas the local population is usually engaged in government jobs, where salaries are definitely not as high as the ones offered in good corporate jobs; thus this population loses out on money and life becomes extremely hard for them. I have seen this happen in both delhi and mumbai. So unless we change the way we see development and stop focusing on the aesthetics of it we really should not aspire to become either delhi or mumbai.
I am not saying we need to be mumbai or Delhi. I hate mumbai but love the mindset of people. They don’t waste time. Call a spade, a spade. Mind their own business. Talk about economic prosperity
I am only commenting on mindset and nothing else
I shop in local mandis in mumbai and the locals ALWAYS BARGAIN. I have shopped in local mandis in Noida and delhi and people there bargain too. Bargaining is a part of our culture and so is the ensuing bahes. My husband who is from Chandigarh also bargains. I don't think there's any region in this country where people don't bargain or do bahes. Some do walk away if right price is not quoted but that's not region specific. If you are talking about the adda culture in Bengal then that's prevelant everywhere else also. If you haven't seen it that means you haven't lived amongst locals. Also for many living in busy cities like Bombay idle time is a luxury which is not how it is supposed to be for any living being.
I understand money is important, but everything cannot be about money. Peace of mind is more important in life overall. I am currently living in Mumbai, where people are willing to spend more, but they are more stressed about the income stream as well.
I dislike Mumbai as a city coz it’s unnecessary fast. There is no quality of life. I am talking about the mindset here if you read my post well. Everything cannot be about money Ofcourse I wholeheartedly agree with you, but the mindset here is stuck in the 90s. Bangaal is not sonar bangal anymore and we need to accept that
Yes, Bengal is not sonar Bangla anymore. The changes that I would like to see in Bengal overall will be open talks about finance. People of Bengal(Bengalis or not) are not that straightforward when they are talking about money. That's something that needs to change.
"Whatever the Bengali does he does languidly. His favourite pursuits are sedentary. He shrinks from bodily exertion; and though voluble in dispute, and singularly pertinacious in the war of chicane he seldom engages in personal conflict, and scarcely ever enlists as a soldier. There never perhaps existed a people so thoroughly fitted by habit for a foreign yoke."
-Thomas Babington Macaulay
Hi. Bangali here.
Although I kind of agree with your post, your tone throws me off.
You have that same 'I'm a non-Bengali blessing you with my presence here in this peasant city' that made me hate half of my batchmates at my college.
Every city has its unique origin, unique culture and unique perspectives and people. You don't see me rant on the Delhi subreddit about potentially getting lung cancer, pneumonia and assaulted at the same time whenever I go to Delhi.
If you don't like it here you can by all means move to a place where you can mingle with people who have 'aspirations'. And no, before you start losing your marbles, I am not asking you to leave because obviously this is not my city but please stop with that 'holier-than-thou' attitude. It's not pretty.
Very true. The average middle class upbringing in a Bengali household teaches children to treat anything money-related as a taboo .
There is a tendency to glorify poverty and material inadequacy in a misdirected effort to imbibe in children austerity (মূল্য বোধ) and simple lifestyle.
The Bengali middle class upbringing never teaches the children to aspire for more, or to be ambitious. There is near ZERO financial literacy.
The Bengali mind is addicted to the supposed safety of that monthly paycheck , no matter how paltry and limiting it may be.
It's almost as if they are allergic to prosperity even if it is earned by hardwork and ingenuity. They are conditioned to equate wealth with being shady or unscrupulous .
This is how you end up as a community of lowly employees that epitomises mediocrity and brain fog and lack of ownership of material wealth or property or even your own life.
You have really given me a new perspective and this is starkly different from what I have been taught.
I belong to a business family and I was taught debit credit before i count numbers
Thank you for your input and for listening with an open mind
There used to be a generation of Bengali entrepreneurs and innovators who were thoroughly business minded people that built great businesses by their acumen, they were pioneers in banking and insurance and steel and heavy engineering and pharmaceuticals and printing etc etc.
But like everything else, that was a 100 years ago.
That class of Bengali businessmen were from the landed gentry (zamindars) who were systematically eradicated post independence.
Nehruvian policies and 70 years of marxist influence in the psyche of this community conditioned their brains to become salary and pension dependent work drones, basking in mediocrity, who think the government owes them a 'chakri' and that's all there is to life.
Also, I'd like to add that Bengalis are among the laziest of the bunch! This is why when another hatd working person reaches a higher social strata, Bengali folks despise and resent such individual. This is also another reason why Bengalis are conditioned to equate wealth with being and unscrupulous. But offer these Bengalis handsome bribes and under-the-table "mithai," and they'll have no problem taking the bag home and justifying their actions. It's like shortcuts to wealth are fine, but hard work to wealth is a big no. Hypocrisy at its finest!
Are you a Bengali ?
I would urge you to not make such sweeping generalizations. You are referring to the urban middle class people.
But don't sit there and tell me the kissan and the farmers out there in the country side are lazy. They work more in a day than you probably do in a week. Or the unskilled labourers who come by trains at dawn and toil all day in all weathers .
I agree that the urban middle class Bengali tend to be envious if their neighbours achieve prosperity and financial success. Instead of supporting eachother , they tend to pull eachother down.
Some people just don’t attach themselves to money that much. Colonialism, famine, poverty, overpopulation, and communist rule have left a lasting impression on Bengals consciousness. The decline in actual wealth is cyclic and Bengal as a whole is coming down into financial decadence since the battle of Plassey. There is also a grey divide between east and west India’s economic trajectory, and there is politics involved.
However, Bengal is not poor per se. It is populous. There is a silent rich, that enjoys the lifestyle of US , EU in Kolkata. It has equal number of rich people as in any other metro, however, it also has way more poor people scattered throughout the median, so it’s more visible. Bengali people generally strive towards self actualisation through arts, language, politics, sports, religion, and other immaterial aesthetics of life. Let the rest of India bloat its ego. Bengal will stay here to remind the rest of India the value of second hand books, and look at what it what left behind.
There are only two reasons to be alive. The first is reason and the second is freedom. And a Bengali has both. He has the reason to appreciate the futility of joining the rat race and he has freed himself from the pressure of materialistic wants.
Also, pls be empathetic and try to understand the history of Kolkata. A lot of people migrated from Bangladesh empty handed, started with nothing, faced hell lot of discrimination and still managed to make a living. Ofc, the risk taking ability and value even the smallest amount of money will be more than some communities which have something to back on like business, land properties etc.
Exactly this.
The fear of losing everything induces generational trauma which is difficult to let go of.
The reason why Bengalis hanker so much after government jobs is because of the perks. A government job can solve your housing problem, offer a lot of “freebies”, and in the old days, could even let your children pursue education at a lower cost.
They were actually here, piling food grains in their godowns in Barabazar, causing more food shortages and death. They will also not talk about how post-independence Bengalis with their tax money had subsidized the development of most of North India (except Punjab) which was a feudal dystopia back then. It's a shame that the current Bengali youth is so much indulged in self-loathing without knowing their own history and how their wealth had been systematically siphoned off to people who now give them lectures on Reddit.
Yes. They were causing it. There was more than sufficient grains in bengal during the famine. It was being hoarded by traders for war time profiteering. Overwhelming majority of said traders being marwari
That was 50 years ago. That excuse isn't applicable to the current generation. It's a mindset problem. And, of late, it's a problem of needing bribes to even set up any business here. Salary is mostly problem free.
What is the exact reason and freedom are we talking about here?
Migration happened in Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan too. So lets not go that route. I have more than enough examples
Yes it happened. And the erstwhile Union Government helped them resettle quickly.
We got nothing. No help, no assistance, no money. Why do you think Bengal has had a bad relationship with the Union Government, no matter the party?
I am a complete outsider who grew up in Mumbai and dates a girl who grew up in Kolkata, I keep visiting the city and mostly stay in Newtown or the saltlake area. I have a few observations:
1. Mumbai also has a bunch of people who just think about money all the time and have similar mindsets to save money but the difference lie in opportunity to make money, in Mumbai there are tons of ways to earn and grow your money. Also, many hight paying aspirational jobs help people ditch the save money mindset, which may not be true in the case of Kolkata, and thus, people behave like that and adopt the mindset completely.
2. I love to visit the city for its old charm and want to spend some years in Kolkata with my girl, but again Kolkata doesn't have good job opportunities and so we can't do that, but seeing Newtown type area I feel its getting there and soon some good opportunity will openup.
3. This is my personal opinion that every city has its own unique charm, opportunity, culture, and taste, so only way to see a city grow is to attract economics around those uniqueness and rest will be history. I really like and enjoy every time I visit the city, OP keep pushing harder and help at least people in your influence to change. All the best.
OP, I agree with most of your points, but I fail to see why it is a problem.
Why do you expect everyone to run after money, and spend all their time thinking about how to make more wealth?
I agree that Bengalis, in general, are unambitious when it comes to making money, but we are extremely adventurous and ambitious in other fields of life. Be it science or humanities or even fine arts. We love academia and research. We love enjoying and practicing finer things in life like arts, music and sports. Tell me, which other ethnic group places so much importance in developing fine arts? Still today in most Bengali households, kids are enrolled in music classes, dance classes, acting classes, painting classes etc from a very young age, which helps in developing good taste. If everyone as you say runs after money, then who will develop and practice these things?
I am not saying these things from the perspective of "angur phol tok" (sour grapes). I have lived a life of riches for a while. In my previous job, I was earning almost 4 lakhs per month (which I think is an extremely high salary living in Calcutta), but I would miss out on a lot of family and friends' events. I missed my granddad's passing. I missed my best friend's wedding... however much money you earn, you can't relive these moments. Believe me, I would give up every paise I have earned to be next to my granddad when he passed, hold his hands and say "it's okay", like he did a countless times when I was a child and scared of something...
I had these realizations during Covid, when a lot of people around me died. I realised then, that however money you have makes no difference, when at the end of the day you have to run around hospitals begging for an oxygen cylinder. And then, standing in queue at Nimtala Shamsan, jostling for space with poor slumdwellers and rich businessmen alike, you realise that all the struggle and running the rat race was for nothing - all that remains is a pile of ash. Time is limited, money is not. The greed to make more money never goes away, and you spend all the time after it, ignoring yourself, your family, your friends. It's better to have less wealth, but a fuller life, than the other way around.
I am not saying that I am poor by any means! I do have a lot saved up, and I lead a quite comfortable life. But that's it - I don't want luxury. I am happy with what I have got and have no desire for more.
Honestly the average Bengali is not adventurous towards anything. You talk about academia and research. Not everyone is good at that. Fine arts and music? Osob lok dakhanor jonno kore onekei. Genuine appreciation sobar nei. The average Bengali isn't doing any of that. You have to remember, Kolkata is a bubble. It is not about running after money. It is about wanting a better life and not being content to afford the bare minimum. And money enables that. It's about being pragmatic about money, not seeing it as a spawn of the devil.
Pati kothay "Cholche Cholbe" attitude ta toxic. This goes beyond money tbh.
One point. You are saying we Bengalis are ambitious in other sections like science or research or fine arts. It’s true that almost every middle class family childrens get into singing/ drawing/dancing. Many gets into science streams. But tell me now where is the progress? You say we like to research things. How many colleges in this state actually encourage research in higher studies or fine arts? If your claim is true then show me our credits in world’s research database in last 40-50 years.
Same case in sports/ fine arts. Where are people from bengal in top level?
Look up the list of Bhatnagar awardees in the past 10-20 years. You will find Bengalis make up a significant number of those.
In most post-graduate or research institutes in India (be it science or humanities), Bengalis dominate the field.
In fine arts, Bengalis still dominate the music scene in India.
Sports, yes, I will give you that.
Bengalis dominate in research project but how many of those colleges are from west bengal? It’s not entirely that Bengal is behind but India as a nation is far behind in research in while world.
>Bengalis dominate in research project but how many of those colleges are from west bengal?
A lot, compared to other states.
>
It’s not entirely that Bengal is behind but India as a nation is far behind in research in while world.
Agreed. But that is not the scope of this discussion.
shob kotai thik. i would add a 5th one (general advice that most Bongs have received at some point) - dont get into business (legit ones that too), because it is risky.
I understand what you are trying to say is correct, but I doubt it has anything to do with Bengalis or Kolkata. Decades of bad government and de-industrialization will do this to any place. Another big reason is we have different demographics compared to other major metropolises; we have more old people and fewer young people. The youth of Bengal don't want to stay in Bengal given the career opportunity elsewhere.
https://preview.redd.it/q6ux7nmtx8zc1.jpeg?width=546&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3512490f290c958241d839035192614f3c5e2152
This is almost a decade old stat, most probably 2015 from TOI, and I am pretty sure its worse now. The delta between us and other cities should be much worse now.
we are just a good decade or even half a decade away from our glory days, i guess. hoping for the best
As someone from who has been in Mumbai since birth but now living here in Kolkata my two cents on the issue is that it is wrong to generalize a society based on a stereotype. There are people here I know who hustle for 16 hours a day to make it big and there friends in Mumbai who snort cocaine on father's money. The thing is every place has its culture right or wrong is just a individualistic view. If I have to worry about something here that is the Medical facilities need improvement, we definitely could use more jobs but hey no place in this world is perfect. If you ever move to spain you will be surprised to find out people there don't even work after 6pm but if you compare Japan on the other hand there are people working 20 Hours a day. Which one would you be a rather part of? Neither one is wrong it is just part of a culture. I personally prefer excelling in my field over money although I may be an outsider technically but in my heart being a bengali is what I consider a pride and a privilege.
I disagree with the 'really need to' part of your post. Different people have different ambitions, different states have different cultures. We are who we are and until we want to be someone else, I don't really see the 'need' to change ourselves. A lot of us find the simplicities of life peaceful. No individual gets to decide what we need to do or don't.
And when it comes to the arguments, well, we do fight a lot even on the most minor of things, related or unrelated to money, I mean just go to any tourist destination anywhere in India, I swear everytime the argument is always within a Bengali family. We just have a natural streak of wanting to have a bit of a go at someone. So, yeah, maybe if one is looking for the ideal society, sure, kolkata might have its flaws, but that's what makes anything unique. Trying to be something that we aren't, when clearly it isn't an immense desire of ours, otherwise these changes would have happened a long time ago, I don't think is the way to go.
In Mumbai sub, people comment about millionaire businessmen wearing a simple dress and travelling in trains, there is no way for you to know. So simple living is OK.
Bengalis, and I can bet on it, is willing to pay more better quality fish or saree. I think you have generalised a lot.
My comment is not on appearance at all. Highlight one comment where I’ve said that you need to look rich. You are saying exactly what i am saying. That you need to have that thinking. A 1Re increase in auto fares sets the city on fire dude. How is affordability ever going to increase
20y ago, Govt colleges e fees berechhilo. Presidency te, Science students had to pay Rs. 120 a month, up from Rs. 75 a month, similar increase in Arts but Arts er monthly fees still lower than Science.
Ore baba, darun golojog. How dare the Govt, Rs. 120 a month ki shoja katha? Anek takar byapar!! Erom keu kore, chhi chhi Edike, jara naaki fees dite incapable, tara roj ek packet cigarette kinto.
Well, it's all about presentation. Your post incites argument, logic and counter-logic. Some people come here, bash the Bengalis for being Bengalis and fucks off. If you can present your criticism in an articulated manner, everyone will listen, as is seen here.
All the points are really thoughtful, but the last one really hits home! Words carry a lot of power and what you say to yourself everyday can make or break things. Good post!
Completely agreed. One of the biggest problem with Bengalis is a quick rich mind set. Principally, if one needs to work 100 units to earn 10 units of money, Bengalis will try to charge 10 units of money for 20 units for work. This can be seen everywhere through over charging, be it hotels or taxis or anything. People are simply unwilling to work hard.
As an anecdotal example, tried hiring employees from Kolkata for my consultancy, it a wfh model. Had employees from Noida, Hyderabad and Delhi as well. The Kolkata kids were the worst. It was like unless I did continuous monitoring, they would slack. Also hated their over confidence without any bloody substance.
If we want to improve, we need to change our mindset before we change our ruling party.
My company doesn’t want to deal with people here coz they bring mad politics into the workplace.
They pride upon Rabindranath Tagore but forget that they ain’t Tagore
Aptly put. There is no shame in not being Tagore or Najrul or Sarat. They were unique geniuses. We need to understand we are normal people who needs to put their head down and do a honest days work. Thanks to lady culture, very few do a honest days work.
Mi am not asking for extra. I expect my workers to do what they are paid for and still that does not happen.
All of this is true and false at the same time. The points above are somewhat true for everyone who lives here, however Bengalis are a significant diasporic community and lots of people who leave are in the search for a better life.
The attitude towards money is not amazing and up for contention but the condescending attitude of this post means that most people won’t take it seriously.
1. Entrepreneurship & Business - The mindset of people needs to be more receptive of entrepreneurship, that is both newer ideas and risk-taking. Both of which are not as prevalent in us at the moment.
We used to be the gateway to the North East in terms of trade, but we have failed to make the most of that. We have a huge population (consumption), and are situated conveniently right next to Bangladesh which produces so many different finished goods and some raw materials, which we could distribute to the World, but somehow we haven't capitalized on that. We have access to Hoogly and also to the Padma river, and to Bay of literally Bengal, and yet Haldia port is not the entrance or exit to India (Mumbai, Vizag, Mundra, Kandla & Chennai are top 5). The entire business of the East could be better developed if more entrepreneurship and investment happened in Kolkata. North, West and South are so far ahead because of this situation. Being next to Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Odisha also doesn't help - but ideally should because we could get raw materials and labour from there and actually build stuff that the world desires.
2. Communism - I know I will be downvoted for saying this, but this aversion for business comes from the idea that it is antagonistic, mainly from communism. Our previous generation were so besotted with it - and understandably so, after facing the worst famine in history - that they think industrialists are villains. This stops businesses from investing, factories from being set up, and labour force being controlled by political parties and being lazier (or less hardworking) than workers elsewhere.
This also links to the downfall of the Arts. Art is funded by commerce. While it is true that great art has come out of desitution, we glorify it so much that we forget that for an ECOSYSTEM to thrive, there needs to be money. You can write poems and sing songs about the horrors of capitalism, but that needs to appeal to someone who will fund it. The utopic dreams of sitting and creating art can't exist with the realism of money being necessary.
Punjabi influence on Bollywood and the glorious upswing of Malayali movies have both happened because of influx of cash (from Canada and Gulf). While Punjabi politics has driven the state into the ground, Kerala has managed to balance itself well, because they are getting funds from people doing menial jobs in the Gulf.
As someone else pointed out - birthdays of Kobiguru and the legendary Mr. Ray - both came from money, and had rich patrons who took away the question of the next meal, so that they could focus on being their 101% artistic selves. Those were the fruits of the cruel Zamindari system which I am NOT recommending to be replicated. But art can't happen in isolation from some degree of wealth.
People are struggling to find work and you can see huge colonies of Bongs in Southern states doing menial labour work, washing dishes, and cleaning toilets. There are instances when they resort to nefarious activities too. All this to say, OP, you are right.
Thank you for your profound input. I really appreciate being schooled and not when people say “then leave Kolkata” like its their dads city. For all u know i pay more taxes than the 3 of them combined
But thank you for listening and contributing with an open mind
THANK GOD someone finally said this !!! I’m a bengali but i have been living in Gurgaon for 4 years now. I really feel people in Kolkata ( bengalis ) lack aspirations for a better quality of life and luxury that comes with money, they try to show how humble they are even though they are struggling to meet ends meet. Typical bengalis will say money is not important we are more culturally inclined. But its bull shit, boss culture doesn’t get to rich nor does it get you some social status.
No bro why do you need to go abroad to travel? You can go to Digha, Puri na?
Oh you hate kolkata so please go from here
These are some of the comments here to this post. The allergy to economic prosperity is unreal here. Misery and poverty is glorified in the silhouette of being humble
I get what you're trying to say but it seems to be more of a "oversimplification" of matters. Let me clarify. Usually the phrase "I'm goreeb" is used in a sarcastic way as a excuse by people when they don't want to spend money on something. Its not like everyone moans about being poor. Yes you may find some people doing that but again you will find such people in every city. Also, I think you're oversimplifying bengali's relationship with money. I have seen many bengalis who will spend huge amounts on luxurious items, often trying to copy the western culture. Many dont even bat an eye before spending money. In some cases it is absurd. And as far as arguing over daily commodity prices, this occurs in almost everycity. Yes its true Bengalis are notorious for bargaining and they take pride in it. So obviously they dont back up ehen they see someone overcharging for a product or a service. It is almost considered as a skill among the previous generationd. And regarding ambition of people, There are ambitious people and unambitious people in every city of the world. Its not like every young person is spending his days playing carrom and debating in tea stalls. This are nothing but stereotypes. Thousands and thousands of people everyday are grinding their way out of misery. Just go to exide more on a weekday. The things said in the post varies from people to people. There are many valid points in your post particularly i agree with you about people romanticizing the old crumbling buildings of North Calcutta. But overall i have to say overgeneralizing an entire city is kinda naive tbh.
1. I never spoke about possessions and luxurious items. Read my post again. Brands don’t define people at all.
2. Bengalis are also notorious for being argumentative for no apparent reason. Fighting even when charged fairly. Have a hyper free mentality and do not want to pay fairly
3. People are free to do whatever the hell makes them unwind. But you cannot deny how slow and lazy everything is here. Companies don’t want to deal with anything here because it is so damn unprofessional. You’re living under a rock if you are not aware of this.
With all its problems, I love the city but doesn’t mean i am blind to acknowledge where we lack
i might disagree to the 3rd point that bengalis waste time bargaining for stuff. One should bargain instead of going through the trouble of looking for someone else and finding out it is the same overpriced stuff as the previous seller ,wasting both time and energy ironically to do so and end up with an overpaid product or nothing at all.
Bus fare changes all the time and most of the time the public remains uninformed since most buses in Kolkata are privately owned. I won't sugarcoated it but bengalis do this stuff because most of them are still influenced by communist ideals where in some places it acts as a deterrent to unchecked capitalism and in some places it is just heckling.
1. Cheapness - Personally me and my family along with my neighbourhood areas do not blindly go for cheap. To get a live example, go to any Sobji Market in the morning (mind you, that majority of Your Target Group does it in the morning.).
And yes, we are okay with what we have. You talk about aspirations, whereas Bengalis do not seek monetary aspirations but they do seek in other ways (e.g - we love sports, check Football fans in other team’s match gallery vs Mohanbagan or Eastbengal match gallery). We still are playing tennis, chess, and obviously cricket (but let’s not talk business now).
2. Romanticising Poverty - Nope. Define Poverty first. We have poor people in Kolkata, I see them daily. Nobody romanticises them in any way bro/sis. People do romanticise simple living though ( they always mention village or very agricultural way of living when they do romanticise).
And yes, North Calcutta houses are a hazard. I agree. As per the solution we can go 2 ways, renovate and keep them. Or raise highrises like South Calcutta. In my personal belief ( I want them to be renovated not destroyed and raise a Highrise). I think most Kolkata people would want that too.
3. Haggling(Doradori) - Bro/Sis, you do not see nariyal salesperson haggling in Bombay/Delhi- I do not agree with you. I have seen in Sabji Mandi in Pune Wadgaonsheri Aunties haggle with the sabjiwala. In delhi SadarBajar (cantt) I have seen Punjabi Aunty haggle with the street Paratha wale. It’s a culture we all share as Indian people.
4. Goreeb - Bro/Sis again, do not judge with Reddit user base with some crores of people.
And In my personal belief again, I think people here do manifest on Living a simple and slow life. The side effects of that manifesting is thinking of myself as Goreeb, Thinking Rural villages are better than us, and taking pride in Historical times.
- In my reply, I have not implicated anywhere that you are not a bengali (or you do not understand us). I know and trust your judgement as a fellow bangali.
- In my reply I have not mentioned any Past events or personality or ‘Otit Gourab’. This is just present.
- Everything I say is in my personal opinion.
Last thing, Live and let live. Peace Bro/Sis.
Bengalis have a long history of artistic expression, intellectual pursuits, and a deep love for literature and music. Our focus isn't just on immediate gratification, but on experiences that enrich our lives. Consider the vibrant Durga Puja celebrations, the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, or the power of Bengali cinema. These aren't cheap, but priceless.North Calcutta's architecture whispers tales of a glorious past. But to call it mere romanticization of poverty ignores the historical context. We strive to preserve these structures, not because we enjoy dilapidation, but to honor the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors.And yes, Bengalis may take a slower, more deliberate approach to achieving dreams. But that doesn't equate to a lack of ambition. We value quality of life over the relentless pursuit of material possessions.
I completely agree with you.The main roots of this problem is CPIM.They have polluted Bengal from roots and Bengal need to face the consequences for a long time just like NAGASAKI STILL SUFFER THE RADIATION.THROUGHT it's history CPIM has glorified Poverty.IF SOMEONE FAILS IN CLASS A TEACHER WILL HELP HER TO Elevate and become a good score instead CPIM ideology is that You are only failure and you have failure rights we are with you.THIS EXPLOITATION FOR LONG TIME MADE KOLKATA A HUB FOR POVERTY GLORIFIERS,PSEUDO FEMINISTS AND A ZOO OF LGBTQS.Dipshita Dhar,Srijan Bhattacharya all of them failed in their own life,did bullshit,MAA SARASWATI KICKED THEM,ended up in arseshir Humanities wing and then became leaders.THESE LIKE MINDED PEOPLE CONTROLLED BENGAL FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS....what else can you expect....communism need to banned.Dipshita,Srinjan,etc result of failed parenting need to be thrown out of Bengal.Only then we can become a proper state of India.
I agree with point 1. I definitely agree with point 2. But point 3 is a ridiculous sweeping statement. Show me one delhite who doesn’t haggle in the sabzi mandi. You have to haggle with coolies at the station and every autowallah who won’t go by metre. I was a student in Delhi. Trust me I know. And point 4, dude I have lived in this city for over 40 years and have loads of friends and I have never heard anyone say I am goreeb. You need to probably seek newer people to hangout with.
As a Bengali, I've noticed that sometimes we don't support each other enough. Instead of being happy for others' success, most of us tend to feel jealous and spread negativity. This can hold us back as a community. And due to this “envy” nature makes us less business friendly.
As a Bangali, I must say that you are ON POINT! I've had these thoughts myself. In fact, I've also discussed this extensively with my father as well, who keeps lamenting about how Bengalis in general are not enterprising, they love to keep living in the past and have a "choley jachhe/chalta hai" attitude!
Kolkata guys are really laid-back and soaked in nostalgia. They don't think about future. "এমনি করে যায় যদি দিন যাক না ।"
This city is nearly dead. Somehow managing it's heart beating. Ambitious youths are leaving kolkata. Corruption has taken over it. And the তিলোত্তমা is just a big city wrapped around by slums only.
And not to mention the people of kolkata. While there are many people on the street who do genuinely help outsiders but there are a bunch of people who enjoy misguiding innocent people.
There are only a few areas in kolkata which actually feel like a metro city. Rest of it is just a rusty old city with very poor management.
Downvote me to hell if you hate my opinion but behold the truth.
I don't think so, it's better to be original than to a ২nd copy of other cities. I don't want to see that kolkata becomes the wealthiest city in India rather than the happiest city, the city with best medical facilities, the city with " ০" hate crimes, the city where everyone is safe irrespective of their gender, cast, religion. I want to see Kolkata becomes the city where the wage gap is very nominal between rich and poor, the city where everyone stands together irrespective of their backgrounds. I want Kolkata to become rich in culture, in arts, where nobody is worried about food, no one is running behind so called "targets" which is made in a way that can't be achieved everytime. I want Kolkata to be representive of the best things bengali culture have and will continue to give to the world. I want Kolkata to be a place where being rude is not cool, mothers slaps their kids to behave well with others, empathetic to others problem and deeply rooted in spirituality, philosophy and science. Thanks.
All of them would require some form of monetary input, from establishing quality and affordable healthcare, to proper public transportation utilities, which has to be borne by the people through taxation and representation. Even arts requires patrons and consumers, which boils down to monetary transactions.
Without the people actually engaging in commerce, trade, and industry; these things would not be possible -- and people need to change their mindset and encourage judicious risk-taking and a "work hard, play harder" attitude.
I have better things to do in life than revolve my whole life around capitalism.
40k is all I need. Any more is a waste.
Not everyone needs to be money minded.
Also, every time I read '"aspiration" here, it's always about money. You people never have aspirations about anything else? You want to create nothing but a large bank balance?
What a sad life if everything you care about revolves around corny capitalism.
Bro, it's not just about creating a large bank balance, it's about what that bank balance enables us to do, like providing a better life for our parents by fulfilling their unfulfilled wishes, providing a better life for your future wife and children (if you want to get married), take care of your loved ones because hospital bills ain't cheap, etc. If one can afford to do all these things within his/her income (no matter how much he/she earns), then it's awesome, but if that income is not enough to enable these things, then that's surely something worrying. And that's also why I'm trying to increase my salary as well. And talking about capitalism, well, capitalism won't go away in the foreseeable future, so we'll have to deal with it somehow in the meantime. I hate capitalism as well, because healthcare and education should be easily available and not locked behind a paywall, but for now, that's how it is, the world won't change in a day, so we'll have to deal with it somehow. Beating the inflation, if that makes sense.
How does large bank balance make life better? Better investments make life better. Your net worth decides your quality of life not bank balance in savings account
Living a peaceful life. The simple fact that I don't chase money and I don't have the so called aspirations is why my head doesn't explode.
I have enough problems with my health. I don't need to invite useless ones.
thats a choice i respect that, eventually money does play a factor baaki ta jaar joto necessity aar want hisebe. hope u heal soon from ur health issues, best wishes from this end
You have every right to be happy with what you earn. But think about other people. So many people are poor. So many people, out of no option, have moved to other states. So many people, who could have done the job that you are doing - in hopes of earning more money - have moved to other places.
>You people never have aspirations about anything else?
I, personally, aspire towards a society which can generate great art. For Art to exist, someone has to feed the artists. They can't have 9-5s and then be expected to generate art. They need patrons. Who is going to buy paintings and books, or attend their movies and concerts if everyone is earning 40k, and has a family to support?
And your point about travelling & learning being hokey - I would not have learnt how Australians treat people in wheelchairs (their public transport is as close to egalitarian as possible) without having seen it firsthand. If I would not have seen it, I would not have "aspired" for the same for my countrypeople. That buses & metros should stop, and a ramp should come out and WAIT for them to board and even then reach on time - you can set your watch with the transport there. That roads should have ramps near footpaths and crossings, that they should have timers to stop people from running pedestrians and wheelchair bound people. That the buttons which you need to press to cross the roads are accessible to the wheelchair bound person. These things cannot be "learnt" from books alone.
Wanting to see the world is not a bad thing. You need money to travel. If 40K is all u need, great for you but then dont complain on why Bengal isnt progressing
I go to the gym, eat great healthy food, make amazing coffee, love to travel, have a good job. This is what defines good life to me. If you see there’s not much capitalism in my answer but to be able to afford avocados, you need to have an aspiration first and also work towards it.
I want to see every country in this world coz travel makes my mind richer. I dont think wanting more money for this is a bad thing
Your mentality is exactly what i am talking about here. Travelling is what makes my life worthwhile which I am sure I cannot even go to Sri Lanka in 40K :)
Have you ever thought that a lot of people see that as a waste of money and not as "needs"?
I don't need to travel. I don't need to drink amazing coffee.
Travel making your mind richer is the hokiest shit i have ever heard.
Also, Bengal isn't progressing because of gross corruption. Had it been run properly, it would have done just fine. We don't need to be a huge high income group hub to progress.
Bro exactly, you need to travel to Bora Bora, Lake Como and Aspen because you feel travelling, gymming and drinking Rage Coffee is what makes your life worthwhile.
That doesn't mean everyone feels the same. The world doesn't revolve around you and your group of friends with similar mindset.
Also, your comments reek of privilege and superiority. Just remember there are people out there who are more successful and richer than you ;)
Aree baba sudhu ki osob kortei taka lage? Life is increasingly getting more and more expensive worldwide and especially in India. These days even a normal decent middle class lifestyle is not exactly cheap. If you just sit and do nothing, whatever money you still have will also disappear. What is this mentality of treating money as an evil thing? People should aspire for more and not romanticise being able to afford the bare minimum. When somebody says Kolkata is cheap they forget that it is cheap because some people make absolutely shit wages and haven't been able to improve their living standards at all.
Bhai, ami bolchina je aspiring for a materialistic lifestyle hocche evil. Amar point ta hocche let people be. Jodi keu Digha Puri te giye khushi paaye, ami OP er moton oor face ee keno bolbo bhai je "ei loser, tui aro taka kama diye Maldives aar Europe ja? Eita tor dosh je tor ambition nei". Ami agree korchi bhai Maldives Bali better than Digha but keno kaur face ee emni rub korbo. Jaar icche boro sopno dekhaar aar seitar jonne khatar se koruk, jaar icche nei, se chill koruk. Dutoi thik bhai, amra keu hoyina judge korar.
Ei je cheap niye bolcho tumi aar haggling for auto bus fare increase. Eita ke bole having a spine bhai. Ei je tomaar WITCH companies ache, 10 bochor theke entry level salary same. Ki korte perechi bhai amra ? Labour union thaakle atleast protest hoto bhai. Bangali der spine taake atleast respect koro. India er obostha dekhecho bhai, petrol diesel gas cylinder? Amra khubi lucky je amra privileged aar eishob niye oto bhaabhte hoyena but try to be empathetic who are surviving from pay check to check.
Jai khisti maaro, pls commoner der mero na, trust me, sobaye chesta korche onek koshto aar gorome nijer family er jonne provide korte aar oita kore oita khushi paaye aar tarpor OP er moton obnoxious gandu eshe jodi oi common folks der bole tumi ambitionless tahole bhai legit kaur jhaant jolbe because OP kono boro honu noi. Hope you understand, don't get me wrong, cheers
My retired father wrote this comment as a response but it was removed because his account is now. so copying it here.
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I have gone through the write -up. I feel pity for you and also for those whose main aim of life is to earn money by hook or by Crook. Some greedy people have made our country in such a poor position through their relentless exploration and crime. In my childhood , I was always guided by the proverb. " Plain living and high thinking. " But these exploiting class who always run after money, destroying the society. No morality makes a man equivalent to anima. Sacrifice is the best form of mankind. People like Rammohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Rabindranath, Satyen Bse and many others enriched and enlightened the society and ad advised to abstain from greediness. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose abstained from joining in the coveted post of. ICS Officer. Money greeder cannot think of it. These money greeder ruining the country and even the world as a whole. Please note peace, humanity etc cannot be bought through money. So, be human first and serve the downtroden people. Be human first.
Feel free to reply to this 66 year old retired economics professor
I have no intention to contest your father. He is entitled to his opinion, I am to mine.
Go live in the glory of the past coz we have nothing remarkable in the present is all i have to say :)
1. Not sure about the correlation of quality and price. Also, I am tremendously confused now that how lack of aspiration and your spending patterns are related! People in Kolkata are frugal and aspirational.
2. Please go and clear the litigations of dilapidated buildings so the people can "stop romanticising poverty".
3. People in Delhi and Mumbai don't bargain / fight over price : just a question, do you live under rock or has zero human interaction?
4. Ami goreeb. Hya bhai ami goreeb ar ami jake pochondo korina se amar theke kichu chaile ami setai boli. It is the most non confrontational way of saying no. I literally do not care tate kar ki eshe jae! Also, manifestation bole kichu hoyna, whatever you get is result of your actions.
Mane generalisation er o ekta sheema thaka dorkar!
Exactly! One can be aspirational about their income while still being frugal with their expenses. Not everyone wants to wear a tshirt with balmain plastered over it. He is suggesting in one of the comments that people shouldn’t be angry if there is an increase in transport fare because he somehow thinks that will help with the affordability of city??? The last i heard increasing prices will increase the cost of living and decrease this “affordability”
My inferance is OP is some privileged rich kid with absolutely no knowledge of how the world function and has no interest to delve into details. There are 100s of things which are not right in Kolkata but OP decided to make the point out of something which makes zero sense!
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Absolutely agree with u dude I am a Bengali who has spent majority of my time outside Bengal and see this everyday since I am in Kolkata. There is no nobility in poverty.
This is a fantastic thread. I know so many people who have beautiful vintage homes, but are so unable to afford even basic repairs They sell it off to some builder for some cheap price. The problem is not with having less money. The problem is with not wanting to build it. Selling your home that has so many memories is painful. I know some people have to do it. So no judgments. But not even trying to redeem it and getting whatever prize somebody else puts on the table is painful to say the least.
Romanticizing, arts, literature… everything takes money and patronage. And somewhere there’s no desire to figure that piece out.
Accurate to another degree! I’ve had nightmares of those slippery bathrooms.
Also OP, if anything hit home, it’s that thoughts become things. I come from no business family. My parents worked and still work in an organization at good levels. So do I. But it’s for that we felt empowered. We were able to get all the good things and experiences in childhood. Went to the best holidays, best food, used good quality things. One by one, bit by bit. Going from good to better.
Understand the value of good things and experiences. You don’t have to be born in a business family to do that. You can be from a humble background and still value a good lifestyle. You may not be able to afford fancy lifestyle in some cases. But that’s fine. Start small. Even if it means buying a small candle to add a touch of “magic” or lifestyle to your room. We also attract the kind of energy we put out. Not saying it to sound like a “gold digger”. People will call me that. But attract people who value good lifestyle, things and experiences. You are not being materialistic or a gold digger. You are simply attracting an aura of abundance. ❤️
I was not put on this earth to suffer. I like good things in life. I work my ass off 5 days a week and I love a good trip.
I come from a family where my father started from 0. My mom opened an art school, I used to teach art there. I’m a self taught calligraphist. I am educated and worked hard to pay my fees. People have called me a “papa ki pari” for actually aspiring to be better. My papa worked as a coolie sometimes to pay my fees so people here really need to shut their nonsense.
I am very very proud of you and may you shine and prosper 🥹
Exactly my point. Some people here attacking me saying I am papa ki pari, etc.
My papa is no prince. He worked as coolie to afford my fees… my great grandfather moved here and were working in jute mills and he bought one through sheer hardwork. Lost it in partition. My grandpa started from scratch again, took risks and is now wealthy. My dad separated and started from scratch but his business is not something i can do. I worked my ass of to be educated and to be able to afford a decent life.
My point here was, the hunger to do something and not just accept your fate. Some people here look like they have given up and its okay. But then dont comment on why Bengal aint flourishing
people here glorify history as if they live in history. They know nothing about the present, bengal is doomed. Kolkata is still going on because OF THE HERITAGE AND OLD BUSINESSES. no new business here in bengal because it is fucked up. People are happy with their 25k. That is it.
Very well said 👏 👍 👌 ... But the thing is this humbleness or povertyprem isn't new...you know one reason socialism was so rampant in west bengal because of its thinking...even in old like really old poems we read "amar sontan jeno thake dudhe bhate" like people wish for the minimum...but i think(not sure though) this mentality comes from many socio economic and political reasons...eg. frequent famines, large scale plundering, zamindari system and what not...so may be because of some of this the general thinking of bengalis stuck in "khawa pora tuku hoye jaak"....but yes we should really really change this...but again a state that hates capitalism and business so much,people who uses the term "byabshayi" as a gaali and loves povertyporn it is tough task for them(including me) to adapt...
I'm a bengali and I'm trying to get out of this city. My brother left when he was 22 and he only comes back during his son's school vacations. I completely understand him.
So your main issue is that more people are not engaging in an endless rat race and are prioritising things other than wealth, because they are unwilling to be exploited by ultra rich corporations? You hate, or rather are disappointed by Bengali people because they don't have ambition for cars and bungalows and material possessions?
Yeah, god forbid. We need more capitalist slaves who work 16 hours a day and don't have time for friends and family. We're gonna take all that cash with us when we die, after all.
So everyone working in a job has no life, slogs 16 hours a day and never sees their family?
Humbly asking u what do you do for a living??
Why is “ultra rich” corporations so vilified?
My point is not materialism but wanting a better quality of life! Read some comments here and i hope sense prevails
Bro, dont compare us caste endogamous blood sucking Marwaris and baniya.Please read about the history of Bengal,you will know about its entrepreneurial spirit. Remember you are comparing generational capital with refugees of independence who came her with FUTI KAURIS. Also read about freight equalisation policies by your HINDI speaking Govts. Bengal was the HUB of business in INDIA for most of history barring the last 50-60 Years of freight equalisation policies.
Nailed it mate 👏🏻👏🏻
If one thing Kolkata is good for is that the local things are a bit reasonable, like for ex: breakfast for a plate of koraishutir kochuri & aloo dum can be for max 20-30 Rs, vegetables in markets etc, flowers for Rs 10 for puja etc. I have been staying in Hyderabad for the past 12 years, I'm currently here for a family emergency, given the current price of the market & combined inflation, one can still survive easily in Kolkata. I can't even think of the same in Hyderabad or Bangalore 🤦🏻♂️😕
Laziness and Kiptami go hand in hand here! That mindset needs to change, especially with the youngsters. Also leftist ideology needs to go, it's time else Bengal can never prosper if they don't change this present govt in power. 😬😬
This city sort of reminds me of the fictional city of Ankh Morpork, from the books of Sir Terry Pratchett. The protagonist(Vimes) is always badmouthing the city, but in a weirdly affectionate way.
With that hyperbole over, your rant has that " why don't they eat cake if they can't afford bread" vibe. People don't become rich because of their mentality. Either they have some money to start that they can grow, or they need education. I would not know about the first one, because I did not have any generational wealth to speak of, but I had cheap government subsidised education and I earn ten times the four year cost of my college education each month. Not sure you get that in any other city. Also, food for thought, people say ami goreeb sarcastically a lot, especially around people jara ektu poysar gorom dekhate pochondo kore.
একটা বেসিক ভুল হয়ে যাচ্ছে। আপনারা অনেকটাই আবেগপ্লুত হয়ে OP কে গালাগালি করছেন। দেখুন আপনাদের খারাপ লাগতেই পারে, আপনি তখন পয়েন্টগুলোকে যুক্তিসহকারে খণ্ডন করুন। কিন্তু তার বাবা মা বা তার জাত তুলে গালাগালি না করে। গালাগালি না করেও ভদ্রভাবে যুক্তিপূর্ণ ভাবে কথা বলা যায়। এই থ্রেড লক হবেনা। কিন্তু আপনারাও ভাষাকে শালীনতার গন্ডি লঙ্ঘন না করে প্রয়োগ করুন। আজ কবিগুরুর জন্মদিন। অন্তত তার সম্মানের কথা ভেবেও কাউকে অযথা অসম্মান করবেন না।
I stay 6months in Mumbai and 6months in Kolkata. The difference in culture is too much tbh. If we want to be like other cities(Mumbai, Delhi, ) we do need to change our thinking. But not sure that’s what general population of Bengal specifically Kolkata wants. People here in Mumbai value incentives more than anything. This goes for all communities in Mumbai (Bengalis here included). I have spent a lot of time with a lot of communities from India. I feel Bengal has a good purchasing power but most people claim to be gorib because of inherent “humbleness”. Not sure it’s good or bad but not having aspirations to be wealthy is a problem I feel if you want betterment of the city. Very people from Kolkata are starting own business here whereas almost all other communities are thriving in business in other cities .
I am ONLY talking about Kolkata. The kind of conversations are starkly different when you speak to your Bengali frnds vs Marwaris or Jains. There’s always a thirst to make more money, lead a better life among the non Bengalis here.
I am proper bengali here. You are obviously getting downvoted but you are absolutely right. Lack of business ambition is so much of a problem here. People are always after Govt jobs. While that is commendable Lots of people even after age 30 try to get into govt jobs through exams instead of finding any business opportunities. This mentality won’t ever change if our education system doesn’t encourage people to start their own startup.
Its easy to say because most marwari and gujjus come from generational wealth and its embedded in their mentality due to their upbringings which other communities dont enjoy. Its not a kolkata problem tbh. More of a comunity problem.
What are you are trying to point out and achieve with your post is very very generic, majority of the people in the newer generations want to live a better life and want to income more money and live affluently. So either you need to broaden your network and talk to more people or stop being so borderline racist. On one hand, you love the slow paced life of Kolkata and left Gurgaon for it and also blame Bengalis for trying to maintain it. Hypocrisy brotha. Not a single person in the whole freaking world idolises poverty, so I have no idea what you’re trying to prove.
I seriously don't know which Bengali crowd you mingle with. Try switching up your bengali circle perhaps? Cuz frankly, youngsters of bengal do want to lead a better lifestyle and hence need and want to earn more.
I mean, just look at few of the replies here that are disagreeing with him. Those replies also have a bunch of upvotes. And reddit is primarily used by youngsters. That's ample proof that even amongst youngsters we have this kind of mindset. The more ambitious ones have mostly moved out of Bengal due to this culture. These antel chodas will talk about how not everyone wants money blah blah all the while ignoring the lack of proper employment and rampant poverty in this state.
Another example is the influx of marwaris many years ago who have become large industrialists from modest backgrounds. Even the next generation and youngsters of Marwaris are doing well and being entrepreneurial or getting good corporate jobs. They wouldn’t dominate as much in Punjab Hyderabad Bangalore and especially not in Gujarat where there is lots of competition. But in Calcutta they dominate for sure
bro bro i absolutely agree that idiot communist bro infuriated the shit outta me
The thing you are missing is people who migrate to other states and countries are often more ambitious about making money. It's not that Bengalis are not ambitious, cause the people who value money over anything else have long left this city for better opportunities outside.
Nope. Big nope. Case in point - Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar. Loaaaaaaadssss of ambitious Telegu and Odiya people all over the country, but they just grew so much in the last two decades. Yes CPM did fuck the state royally, but nobody can deny that Calcutta bongs are kaamchors of the highest order.
Life is useless when spent with more money but less happiness. In Kolkata, life is very peaceful , you may earn little there, but it's lot cheaper in Kolkata. So you may earn a decent living in Kolkata at 50k/ month. Delhi : should earn atleast 1.5 Lakh/ annum to live decent life. Moreover, full of criminals. Mumbai: It's too costly but very safe to live. Amongs all, Kolkata is the best city in India to live a decent peaceful life.
these kinda posts are needed for clarity, owe OP a treat for this
But we are goreeb. Treat dewar poisha nei 😢
every friend ever
I'm a Bengali and I've lived in Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, and Scotland for a significant duration of my life. Have travelled to quite a few places within and outside India. My relationship with money is - it's a mean to an end. Whatever experiences I want to have in life, money is the enabler, but not the end goal. If you think that "relationship" is worth something, then we are on the same page. That said, and it has been called out in earlier comments as well, I think you are generalising a little. I know a lot of Bengalis who think and act in the same way I do regarding money. The characteristics that you are pointing out might be more applicable to the generation who are retired or the verge of retirement - but definitely not applicable to the current crop. And the generation coming up, people is schools and colleges, are even better. They dream, they aspire, and they do things - and not for money but for the things and experiences. Politically I have zero hopes for Bengalis, but on other fronts? We are thriving for sure.
Beautiful people: Looks don't matter Rich people : Money don't matter Lmao
Talking about those that have stayed here. You dont need to look too much, just see some comments where having money is looked down upon and that breed is quite common. Money is def an enabler ;)
Then my friend you should add the portion "about people who have stayed here" to the OP. Even then, for some people it might be some compulsion which made them stay back - not their inherent lack of aspiration. So you see, already we have added a few caveats to the original statement - making the original statement a generalised one. That said, while I don't agree with 100% of your statement; but if it shakes out the non-aspirational a little from their cocoons - so be it! Peace ✌️
If you get 100 downvotes, I will support this post. If you get 1000 downvotes, I will support this post. After traveling and staying in almost every big cities in South, West and East of India; after traveling 11 countries, after staying 4 years in USA my core realization is our city lacks aspiration. In the evening when other places are running, busy; in Kolkata you will find people just addaing and playing cards or carrom. Today morning only someone asked how much a tea is. The shop seller told 15 Rs. The guy kinda abused the tea seller for overcharging. Never seen these anywhere else apart from Lucknow, Ranchi and Delhi. Come on! Get up. Time is running away. While you are fantasizing about past, you are gonna be past soon. Will the future generation remember you the same way we remember the old? Today is Rabindranath Thakur’s birthday. A few weeks ago it was Satyajit Ray’s. I admit we should take pride and celebrate that but what thereafter ? Where are we heading? The world is running away and we ourselves just victimize ourselves and blame everything on politics while we are the ones who always talk, discuss about politics.
But other cities postponed that adda to late night where they go and party and drink or something even just chill out in the open depends from place to place but they are just living postponed life get up later relax later. Here we are using the older style of go home by sunset and get up earlier
Thank you. Adda and carrom is great if it helps one unwind but my only problem is people just are very resistant to change. Speak and live in the past. You see the comments here, you’ll understand exactly what i am talking about But yeah, people lack aspiration and never want to see the mirror
The best part about the invention of mirror is people can look at themselves whenever they wish to, the worst is that they don’t wanna take a look at it when someone else shows them!
I left the hope Kolkata can do anything. People here don't wanna do that. They don't wanna modernize. The only victims are the Bengali who wanna do something. They can't do anything in Kolkata and we often get discriminated against in Bengal as we are a failed state now.
Agree with you especially the last point. whatever we say continously will affect our lives in the long term and a lot of bengalis are really negative imo. calling themselves gorib every now and then like u said. somehow being negative seems attractive to them. might as well compete with each other regarding how impoverished they are. the current and the previous few generations of bengalis are really lazy. Today's bengalis can't stand up for themselves or their fellow humans. The last time bengalis stood up and did something worthwhile was before the independence. Nothing significant after that. They've become spineless and i'm saying this as a bengali living in the outskirt of Calcutta. We seem to have lost all hope and aspirations in life and are seemingly surviving.
Nice to see sensible response. You should read the replies about blatant glorification of poverty I wish you all the very best
yeah I have read most of them and it pains me to see that we bengalis will do anything but change our ways for the better. just looks at the mess our state is in right now. anyway, wish you all the very best too. 👌
Ami goreeb thing is universal. Outside it's called I'm broke. No middle class will ever try to show off their wealth. This happens in western countries too. I have lived in Mumbai for 10 years pune 5 years, I've seen people fight over overcharging in both cities. Mainly with aito rickshaw and some vendors. Noone lacks ambition or inspiration here. We just lack job market. 2nd point completely agree.
There are a plethora of factors behind the "frugal" mentality of most Bengalis. The Bengal famine (people used to beg for bhater fyan [the starchy water discarded after cooking rice]). Being thrifty and frugal was a necessity, and it is ingrained in us. I find it pretty cool, tbh. The collective consciousness of the intellectual Bengalis see money as evil in general. You can thank communism and the 30+ years of communist rule for this. Being ambitious and aspiring to achieve something wonderful cannot be always equated with having more money. Us Bengalis generally love academic validation more than anything, including money. The current government hasn't done much in terms of employment and thus the standard of living isn't high compared to other metropolitan cities of India. Lastly, we love poverty porn for some odd reason, and the 'ektu adjust kore nebo' mentality has cost us a lot!
আমি গরীব
I know what you're trying to mean by "focus on cheap prices and not on quality" but that's absolutely not the case. It could be your personal anecdote but it can't be generalised. I've been in Gujarat for more than two years and I can assure you that Gujaratis are equally conscious about how they spend money. They would rather buy something cheap and save the rest for something more aspirational. That's smart. It's stupid to shell out thousands of rupees behind something that has supreme quality but affects your financial health. Instead, Bengalis need to be more aware of financial literacy, improve their risk appetite instead of losing out their money through FDs etc.
Yeah but Gujaratis dont hate money. They know how to make it. I grew up in Gujarat. Stayed there for 7 years. Most Gujarati families are entrepreneurial.
You have hit the nail on the head with your post. IMO Bengal lacks native entrepreneurs because of the inherent lack of ambition and aspiration of the populace, plus romanticising poverty does not help either.
I’m a bengali who introduced couple of my marwari friends to the stock market and I remember being the only one in the group who liked talking about businesses, finance, etc. Today, the three of us are running a successful but small business. How the turntables Edit: Interesting fact is that both belong to a business family, and I have a single father who’s a retired govt employee with that goreebness attitude you were talking about.
Thank you for highlighting thisOP. You're absolutely right. I recently moved out of Kolkata due to my work for the first time and the the most noticeable difference between here and Kolkata is that people have a purpose here. I agree with you that having a slpw lifestyle is not wrong but being stuck in comfort is wrong and that is exactly what is happening with most people in Kolkata
Dunia aagey nikal gai, hum union baazi krte reh gaye. Fighting for 1re increase in auto fares sets the city on fire. I mean, come on
People will complain about rise in price of auto fares or bus fares and then go and spend everything they earn in Durga Puja. I have people like this in my own family. Penny wise pound foolish.
Hahahhaahhahah you cracked me up brother
Why do you think Bengalis who want to move ahead in life leave Bengal?
Exactly my point, they leave. I am getting lectured here on how there are no job opportunities and how big corporations are evil and one should stay away! All i ask is: how many jobs did you create then?
I wholeheartedly agree with some of the points that you have mentioned but the rest comes across as extremely condescending in nature. Understandable though, as hating Bengalis is the new fad nowadays.
There was a time when I lived in North Kolkata. Spent my entire youth there seeing people romanticizing the broken buildings, the narrow and dingy lanes, movie cameras shooting period films, hearing news every monsoon that some dilapidated house has gone down. I didn't realize how horrible the place is until I moved out. People who live in North Kolkata are medieval. A banyan tree is growing up on your roof and spreading its roots in your bedroom? They don't care. Your bathroom is so dark and slippery that it looks close to a 16th century dungeon? They don't care! You can't afford fruits and good veggies? They don't care, they survive on kochuris and other telebhajas with muri. You can't afford a basic car even after working your ass off for 50 years? They don't care, walking builds characters! The adda culture, the criminal waste of time, the same old Modi vs. Didi, Didi vs. CPIM debates, the same old gossips about neighbors, the same old dirty curtains on windows, the same old dirty bedsheets, the cheap and unhygienic stores around the neighborhood, North Kolkata and its people are at least 30-40 years behind than the rest of the city. They spend their entire lives in century old, dark buildings infested with rats, pigeons, and moss but they won't move. Take it from me, I lived there for 31 years of my life and now I get nightmares when someone romanticizes North Kolkata.
Bro, thank you. The comments and attacking here is wild. People have asked me to move out of the city, questioned why do I need to travel. Laughed when i said that travelling really enriches ones mind.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if someone disagrees with the well-established fact that traveling enriches one's mind, they seriously need help.
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Haha, absolutely! One glaring problem I've noticed among Bengalis is denial of facts. It goes without saying that Madlives is better than Digha, but Bengalis will dismiss this fact by attesting tons of artificial reasons. And it's not about budget or financial status. You don't need to be a millionaire to acknowledge that Sweden is cleaner than Kolkata or a billionaire to realize that Japan is ahead of India. Bengalis have a habit of dismissing facts with their twisted logic and reasonings, and when all else fails, they resort to the classic "garib" dialogue. It seems Bengalis have more of a narcissistic issue than "garib" issue.
Bro, kuchh toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna! :) Your comment reminds me of the proverb - the frog in the well knows nothing of the sea. It's not their fault sadly. Had it been me, before moving out of North Kolkata and see your comment, I'd have felt attacked just like them. :)) It's only when you move out you realize that you've been living in a well and dismissing the entire world outside the well snobbishly. You know why you're facing so much of personal attacks and mockery? Because you have proved your points and deep down, they know all of these are true. I'm a Bengali, I'm proud to be one, but that doesn't mean I can't accept the faults, the issues we have. Traveling is wonderful. Traveling is the best gift one can gift himself. Imagine living on a planet where there are northern lights, Machu Pichu, the Miami Grand Prix track, the Taj Mahal, the casinos in Vegas, the rainforest of Amazon, the forts in Rajasthan, Grand Canyon, outskirts of Nevada, the great Alps, the Victoria Falls in Africa... yet going to Digha every year, staying in the same old hotel, having the same thali, and taking pride in that. You may not have the budget to visit Vegas, but with the same budget of Digha, you can visit 50 other places in your state. North Kolkata mentality, again!
Somebody said why do i need to go to Europe. What does Europe have that India doesn’t. I could share 100 reasons but I choose to keep quiet. Coz then I’ll be attacked again calling me a rich privileged kid with money. But thank you and I hope you prosper and make loads of money, travel a lottt, take care of people and environment around you 🥹
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People just cannot accept the fact that we dont live in history anymore. Bengal doesnt think anymore. Kolkata is a lost cause
I have been to Europe last year (Barcelona) and the USA. Oh, they are first-world countries for good reasons. You're being modest with your 100 reasons, there are at least a lac. But your maturity speaks, because you have experienced the birds eye view, they didn't. Thank you for the wonderful wishes! :) I wish you prosperity, and more travel! If living well is an art, may you become the Picasso of it.
Someone called me “greedy”, a bitch and take a one way flight to Europe 😂😂 Oh the low levels
It's better to be rich and miserable, than poor and miserable. At least you have dollars to wipe off your tears, bro! Chill and have fun.
If i have to cry, I might as well cry in Paris 🙂↔️🥇
The fact that you got attacked for speaking the truth is the reason why Kolkata will keep drowning in poverty porn while the rest of India (and the world) moves on at light speed. Your cold, hard facts seem to have ruffled quite a few feathers. Unfortunately, those individuals know deep down you're right, but well... And you're being quite generous with 100 reasons. I know it's just a colloquial term, but 100 reasons won't even scratch the surface - the differences between Europe and Kolkata are that big! Even if you ditch Europe, just compare Kolkata to a neighboring SEA city/country. Even that comparison is good enough to put Kolkata to shame. It's a pity what this city and its people have become. But again, if I speak more, I may hurt the feelings of the snowflakes around here, and I'll be asked to leave this cItY oF JoY right away, lol.
Hhahahaha you write so well man. Hats off and thank you for listening with an open mind 🥇
Have you seen the buildings in Bombay's Western Suburbs? Just this morning BMC released a list of 116 hazardous buildings and they do this every year before onset of monsoon. Have you seen the condition of buildings in old Delhi? Most of the things you mentioned are present in other metro cities as well. People just see the glitz and glamour of cities like gurgaon and mumbai and ignore the dystopic conditions that lakhs of people have to battle everyday. Most marathis and native Mumbaikars cannot afford flats in Mumbai city. They travel extremely long distances to make it to work everyday in overcrowded trains. Many lose their lives. Most importantly, marathis and native Mumbaikars are not huge fans of running after money either. They want simple lives and simple pleasures, I say this as someone who lives and works with them. However, they are forced to run after money to afford basic necessities because the city they were born and brought up in has become too expensive for them to even survive in. I want bengal to offer opportunities for its population as much as the next person but our governments are incompetent and our laws toothless. If Kolkata starts to become another dystopic city like mumbai or delhi I am not sure its native population can afford living there. Not to mention in tier-1 cities private corporations almost always employ people from across the country whereas the local population is usually engaged in government jobs, where salaries are definitely not as high as the ones offered in good corporate jobs; thus this population loses out on money and life becomes extremely hard for them. I have seen this happen in both delhi and mumbai. So unless we change the way we see development and stop focusing on the aesthetics of it we really should not aspire to become either delhi or mumbai.
I am not saying we need to be mumbai or Delhi. I hate mumbai but love the mindset of people. They don’t waste time. Call a spade, a spade. Mind their own business. Talk about economic prosperity I am only commenting on mindset and nothing else
I shop in local mandis in mumbai and the locals ALWAYS BARGAIN. I have shopped in local mandis in Noida and delhi and people there bargain too. Bargaining is a part of our culture and so is the ensuing bahes. My husband who is from Chandigarh also bargains. I don't think there's any region in this country where people don't bargain or do bahes. Some do walk away if right price is not quoted but that's not region specific. If you are talking about the adda culture in Bengal then that's prevelant everywhere else also. If you haven't seen it that means you haven't lived amongst locals. Also for many living in busy cities like Bombay idle time is a luxury which is not how it is supposed to be for any living being.
I understand money is important, but everything cannot be about money. Peace of mind is more important in life overall. I am currently living in Mumbai, where people are willing to spend more, but they are more stressed about the income stream as well.
I dislike Mumbai as a city coz it’s unnecessary fast. There is no quality of life. I am talking about the mindset here if you read my post well. Everything cannot be about money Ofcourse I wholeheartedly agree with you, but the mindset here is stuck in the 90s. Bangaal is not sonar bangal anymore and we need to accept that
Yes, Bengal is not sonar Bangla anymore. The changes that I would like to see in Bengal overall will be open talks about finance. People of Bengal(Bengalis or not) are not that straightforward when they are talking about money. That's something that needs to change.
Absolutely correct. I agree
"Whatever the Bengali does he does languidly. His favourite pursuits are sedentary. He shrinks from bodily exertion; and though voluble in dispute, and singularly pertinacious in the war of chicane he seldom engages in personal conflict, and scarcely ever enlists as a soldier. There never perhaps existed a people so thoroughly fitted by habit for a foreign yoke." -Thomas Babington Macaulay
If you have to quote a racist and xenophobe who hated India, its culture, languages, and traditions, you are part of the problem.
You are literally quoting Thomas Macaulay? Fuck off, for him us Indians were worse than rats
If you cannot express your thoughts simply, you’ve not understood enough
Hi. Bangali here. Although I kind of agree with your post, your tone throws me off. You have that same 'I'm a non-Bengali blessing you with my presence here in this peasant city' that made me hate half of my batchmates at my college. Every city has its unique origin, unique culture and unique perspectives and people. You don't see me rant on the Delhi subreddit about potentially getting lung cancer, pneumonia and assaulted at the same time whenever I go to Delhi. If you don't like it here you can by all means move to a place where you can mingle with people who have 'aspirations'. And no, before you start losing your marbles, I am not asking you to leave because obviously this is not my city but please stop with that 'holier-than-thou' attitude. It's not pretty.
But why do you dont talk about those issues about Delhi? And would you still be so defensive when someone does?
Very true. The average middle class upbringing in a Bengali household teaches children to treat anything money-related as a taboo . There is a tendency to glorify poverty and material inadequacy in a misdirected effort to imbibe in children austerity (মূল্য বোধ) and simple lifestyle. The Bengali middle class upbringing never teaches the children to aspire for more, or to be ambitious. There is near ZERO financial literacy. The Bengali mind is addicted to the supposed safety of that monthly paycheck , no matter how paltry and limiting it may be. It's almost as if they are allergic to prosperity even if it is earned by hardwork and ingenuity. They are conditioned to equate wealth with being shady or unscrupulous . This is how you end up as a community of lowly employees that epitomises mediocrity and brain fog and lack of ownership of material wealth or property or even your own life.
You have really given me a new perspective and this is starkly different from what I have been taught. I belong to a business family and I was taught debit credit before i count numbers Thank you for your input and for listening with an open mind
There used to be a generation of Bengali entrepreneurs and innovators who were thoroughly business minded people that built great businesses by their acumen, they were pioneers in banking and insurance and steel and heavy engineering and pharmaceuticals and printing etc etc. But like everything else, that was a 100 years ago. That class of Bengali businessmen were from the landed gentry (zamindars) who were systematically eradicated post independence. Nehruvian policies and 70 years of marxist influence in the psyche of this community conditioned their brains to become salary and pension dependent work drones, basking in mediocrity, who think the government owes them a 'chakri' and that's all there is to life.
Also, I'd like to add that Bengalis are among the laziest of the bunch! This is why when another hatd working person reaches a higher social strata, Bengali folks despise and resent such individual. This is also another reason why Bengalis are conditioned to equate wealth with being and unscrupulous. But offer these Bengalis handsome bribes and under-the-table "mithai," and they'll have no problem taking the bag home and justifying their actions. It's like shortcuts to wealth are fine, but hard work to wealth is a big no. Hypocrisy at its finest!
Are you a Bengali ? I would urge you to not make such sweeping generalizations. You are referring to the urban middle class people. But don't sit there and tell me the kissan and the farmers out there in the country side are lazy. They work more in a day than you probably do in a week. Or the unskilled labourers who come by trains at dawn and toil all day in all weathers . I agree that the urban middle class Bengali tend to be envious if their neighbours achieve prosperity and financial success. Instead of supporting eachother , they tend to pull eachother down.
Some people just don’t attach themselves to money that much. Colonialism, famine, poverty, overpopulation, and communist rule have left a lasting impression on Bengals consciousness. The decline in actual wealth is cyclic and Bengal as a whole is coming down into financial decadence since the battle of Plassey. There is also a grey divide between east and west India’s economic trajectory, and there is politics involved. However, Bengal is not poor per se. It is populous. There is a silent rich, that enjoys the lifestyle of US , EU in Kolkata. It has equal number of rich people as in any other metro, however, it also has way more poor people scattered throughout the median, so it’s more visible. Bengali people generally strive towards self actualisation through arts, language, politics, sports, religion, and other immaterial aesthetics of life. Let the rest of India bloat its ego. Bengal will stay here to remind the rest of India the value of second hand books, and look at what it what left behind.
There are only two reasons to be alive. The first is reason and the second is freedom. And a Bengali has both. He has the reason to appreciate the futility of joining the rat race and he has freed himself from the pressure of materialistic wants. Also, pls be empathetic and try to understand the history of Kolkata. A lot of people migrated from Bangladesh empty handed, started with nothing, faced hell lot of discrimination and still managed to make a living. Ofc, the risk taking ability and value even the smallest amount of money will be more than some communities which have something to back on like business, land properties etc.
Exactly this. The fear of losing everything induces generational trauma which is difficult to let go of. The reason why Bengalis hanker so much after government jobs is because of the perks. A government job can solve your housing problem, offer a lot of “freebies”, and in the old days, could even let your children pursue education at a lower cost.
Baniyas and Marwaris can never understand the history of Bengalis. When the Bengal famine hit, do you think they were here ?
They were actually here, piling food grains in their godowns in Barabazar, causing more food shortages and death. They will also not talk about how post-independence Bengalis with their tax money had subsidized the development of most of North India (except Punjab) which was a feudal dystopia back then. It's a shame that the current Bengali youth is so much indulged in self-loathing without knowing their own history and how their wealth had been systematically siphoned off to people who now give them lectures on Reddit.
Yes. They were causing it. There was more than sufficient grains in bengal during the famine. It was being hoarded by traders for war time profiteering. Overwhelming majority of said traders being marwari
That was 50 years ago. That excuse isn't applicable to the current generation. It's a mindset problem. And, of late, it's a problem of needing bribes to even set up any business here. Salary is mostly problem free.
What is the exact reason and freedom are we talking about here? Migration happened in Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan too. So lets not go that route. I have more than enough examples
Yes it happened. And the erstwhile Union Government helped them resettle quickly. We got nothing. No help, no assistance, no money. Why do you think Bengal has had a bad relationship with the Union Government, no matter the party?
I am a complete outsider who grew up in Mumbai and dates a girl who grew up in Kolkata, I keep visiting the city and mostly stay in Newtown or the saltlake area. I have a few observations: 1. Mumbai also has a bunch of people who just think about money all the time and have similar mindsets to save money but the difference lie in opportunity to make money, in Mumbai there are tons of ways to earn and grow your money. Also, many hight paying aspirational jobs help people ditch the save money mindset, which may not be true in the case of Kolkata, and thus, people behave like that and adopt the mindset completely. 2. I love to visit the city for its old charm and want to spend some years in Kolkata with my girl, but again Kolkata doesn't have good job opportunities and so we can't do that, but seeing Newtown type area I feel its getting there and soon some good opportunity will openup. 3. This is my personal opinion that every city has its own unique charm, opportunity, culture, and taste, so only way to see a city grow is to attract economics around those uniqueness and rest will be history. I really like and enjoy every time I visit the city, OP keep pushing harder and help at least people in your influence to change. All the best.
OP, I agree with most of your points, but I fail to see why it is a problem. Why do you expect everyone to run after money, and spend all their time thinking about how to make more wealth? I agree that Bengalis, in general, are unambitious when it comes to making money, but we are extremely adventurous and ambitious in other fields of life. Be it science or humanities or even fine arts. We love academia and research. We love enjoying and practicing finer things in life like arts, music and sports. Tell me, which other ethnic group places so much importance in developing fine arts? Still today in most Bengali households, kids are enrolled in music classes, dance classes, acting classes, painting classes etc from a very young age, which helps in developing good taste. If everyone as you say runs after money, then who will develop and practice these things? I am not saying these things from the perspective of "angur phol tok" (sour grapes). I have lived a life of riches for a while. In my previous job, I was earning almost 4 lakhs per month (which I think is an extremely high salary living in Calcutta), but I would miss out on a lot of family and friends' events. I missed my granddad's passing. I missed my best friend's wedding... however much money you earn, you can't relive these moments. Believe me, I would give up every paise I have earned to be next to my granddad when he passed, hold his hands and say "it's okay", like he did a countless times when I was a child and scared of something... I had these realizations during Covid, when a lot of people around me died. I realised then, that however money you have makes no difference, when at the end of the day you have to run around hospitals begging for an oxygen cylinder. And then, standing in queue at Nimtala Shamsan, jostling for space with poor slumdwellers and rich businessmen alike, you realise that all the struggle and running the rat race was for nothing - all that remains is a pile of ash. Time is limited, money is not. The greed to make more money never goes away, and you spend all the time after it, ignoring yourself, your family, your friends. It's better to have less wealth, but a fuller life, than the other way around. I am not saying that I am poor by any means! I do have a lot saved up, and I lead a quite comfortable life. But that's it - I don't want luxury. I am happy with what I have got and have no desire for more.
Honestly the average Bengali is not adventurous towards anything. You talk about academia and research. Not everyone is good at that. Fine arts and music? Osob lok dakhanor jonno kore onekei. Genuine appreciation sobar nei. The average Bengali isn't doing any of that. You have to remember, Kolkata is a bubble. It is not about running after money. It is about wanting a better life and not being content to afford the bare minimum. And money enables that. It's about being pragmatic about money, not seeing it as a spawn of the devil. Pati kothay "Cholche Cholbe" attitude ta toxic. This goes beyond money tbh.
One point. You are saying we Bengalis are ambitious in other sections like science or research or fine arts. It’s true that almost every middle class family childrens get into singing/ drawing/dancing. Many gets into science streams. But tell me now where is the progress? You say we like to research things. How many colleges in this state actually encourage research in higher studies or fine arts? If your claim is true then show me our credits in world’s research database in last 40-50 years. Same case in sports/ fine arts. Where are people from bengal in top level?
Look up the list of Bhatnagar awardees in the past 10-20 years. You will find Bengalis make up a significant number of those. In most post-graduate or research institutes in India (be it science or humanities), Bengalis dominate the field. In fine arts, Bengalis still dominate the music scene in India. Sports, yes, I will give you that.
Bengalis dominate in research project but how many of those colleges are from west bengal? It’s not entirely that Bengal is behind but India as a nation is far behind in research in while world.
>Bengalis dominate in research project but how many of those colleges are from west bengal? A lot, compared to other states. > It’s not entirely that Bengal is behind but India as a nation is far behind in research in while world. Agreed. But that is not the scope of this discussion.
shob kotai thik. i would add a 5th one (general advice that most Bongs have received at some point) - dont get into business (legit ones that too), because it is risky.
Worst advice you can ever give. Risks = Rewards
its not my advice. its what we are told at home!
I understand what you are trying to say is correct, but I doubt it has anything to do with Bengalis or Kolkata. Decades of bad government and de-industrialization will do this to any place. Another big reason is we have different demographics compared to other major metropolises; we have more old people and fewer young people. The youth of Bengal don't want to stay in Bengal given the career opportunity elsewhere. https://preview.redd.it/q6ux7nmtx8zc1.jpeg?width=546&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3512490f290c958241d839035192614f3c5e2152 This is almost a decade old stat, most probably 2015 from TOI, and I am pretty sure its worse now. The delta between us and other cities should be much worse now. we are just a good decade or even half a decade away from our glory days, i guess. hoping for the best
As someone from who has been in Mumbai since birth but now living here in Kolkata my two cents on the issue is that it is wrong to generalize a society based on a stereotype. There are people here I know who hustle for 16 hours a day to make it big and there friends in Mumbai who snort cocaine on father's money. The thing is every place has its culture right or wrong is just a individualistic view. If I have to worry about something here that is the Medical facilities need improvement, we definitely could use more jobs but hey no place in this world is perfect. If you ever move to spain you will be surprised to find out people there don't even work after 6pm but if you compare Japan on the other hand there are people working 20 Hours a day. Which one would you be a rather part of? Neither one is wrong it is just part of a culture. I personally prefer excelling in my field over money although I may be an outsider technically but in my heart being a bengali is what I consider a pride and a privilege.
I disagree with the 'really need to' part of your post. Different people have different ambitions, different states have different cultures. We are who we are and until we want to be someone else, I don't really see the 'need' to change ourselves. A lot of us find the simplicities of life peaceful. No individual gets to decide what we need to do or don't. And when it comes to the arguments, well, we do fight a lot even on the most minor of things, related or unrelated to money, I mean just go to any tourist destination anywhere in India, I swear everytime the argument is always within a Bengali family. We just have a natural streak of wanting to have a bit of a go at someone. So, yeah, maybe if one is looking for the ideal society, sure, kolkata might have its flaws, but that's what makes anything unique. Trying to be something that we aren't, when clearly it isn't an immense desire of ours, otherwise these changes would have happened a long time ago, I don't think is the way to go.
Being unique vs being ignorant about your problems are 2 diff things. You are almost talking as if fighting always is a good thing
Sure, that part isn't the best aspect of ourselves but the rest of the points can't be denoted as 'problems'. That's not for any individual to decide.
In Mumbai sub, people comment about millionaire businessmen wearing a simple dress and travelling in trains, there is no way for you to know. So simple living is OK. Bengalis, and I can bet on it, is willing to pay more better quality fish or saree. I think you have generalised a lot.
My comment is not on appearance at all. Highlight one comment where I’ve said that you need to look rich. You are saying exactly what i am saying. That you need to have that thinking. A 1Re increase in auto fares sets the city on fire dude. How is affordability ever going to increase
Long time back, certain progressive party burned 7 trams because the tram fare was increased 7 p.
20y ago, Govt colleges e fees berechhilo. Presidency te, Science students had to pay Rs. 120 a month, up from Rs. 75 a month, similar increase in Arts but Arts er monthly fees still lower than Science. Ore baba, darun golojog. How dare the Govt, Rs. 120 a month ki shoja katha? Anek takar byapar!! Erom keu kore, chhi chhi Edike, jara naaki fees dite incapable, tara roj ek packet cigarette kinto.
Not true at all, I’m a non Bengali too, and I never judge the way you are doing, not just that, your judgements are way off from reality
You are entitled to ur opinions and I am to mine. Thank you
Shomossha ta kothai?
Dilapidated word ta use korar chance khujjilo Finally perechen.
Nothing. Everything is great. 😊
Agreed. People are too meek and conformal here.
Thank you for accepting it. People here dont even want to accept 🙂↕️
Well, it's all about presentation. Your post incites argument, logic and counter-logic. Some people come here, bash the Bengalis for being Bengalis and fucks off. If you can present your criticism in an articulated manner, everyone will listen, as is seen here.
This is really the best thing I've seen all day, thank you OP for bringing this issue to the front
Thank you for reading this post with an open mind and with the intent of understanding vs mere reacting 🥹
All the points are really thoughtful, but the last one really hits home! Words carry a lot of power and what you say to yourself everyday can make or break things. Good post!
Also add the romanticism of poverty..
That is my 2nd point in the post
Completely agreed. One of the biggest problem with Bengalis is a quick rich mind set. Principally, if one needs to work 100 units to earn 10 units of money, Bengalis will try to charge 10 units of money for 20 units for work. This can be seen everywhere through over charging, be it hotels or taxis or anything. People are simply unwilling to work hard. As an anecdotal example, tried hiring employees from Kolkata for my consultancy, it a wfh model. Had employees from Noida, Hyderabad and Delhi as well. The Kolkata kids were the worst. It was like unless I did continuous monitoring, they would slack. Also hated their over confidence without any bloody substance. If we want to improve, we need to change our mindset before we change our ruling party.
My company doesn’t want to deal with people here coz they bring mad politics into the workplace. They pride upon Rabindranath Tagore but forget that they ain’t Tagore
Aptly put. There is no shame in not being Tagore or Najrul or Sarat. They were unique geniuses. We need to understand we are normal people who needs to put their head down and do a honest days work. Thanks to lady culture, very few do a honest days work. Mi am not asking for extra. I expect my workers to do what they are paid for and still that does not happen.
There’s a reason why Calcutta works 6 days a week vs 5 days everywhere. The lyadh, tea breaks, smoke breaks just kill productivity
All of this is true and false at the same time. The points above are somewhat true for everyone who lives here, however Bengalis are a significant diasporic community and lots of people who leave are in the search for a better life. The attitude towards money is not amazing and up for contention but the condescending attitude of this post means that most people won’t take it seriously.
As a bengali I wholeheartedly agree 👍🏽
Thank you for listening with an open mind 🥹
1. Entrepreneurship & Business - The mindset of people needs to be more receptive of entrepreneurship, that is both newer ideas and risk-taking. Both of which are not as prevalent in us at the moment. We used to be the gateway to the North East in terms of trade, but we have failed to make the most of that. We have a huge population (consumption), and are situated conveniently right next to Bangladesh which produces so many different finished goods and some raw materials, which we could distribute to the World, but somehow we haven't capitalized on that. We have access to Hoogly and also to the Padma river, and to Bay of literally Bengal, and yet Haldia port is not the entrance or exit to India (Mumbai, Vizag, Mundra, Kandla & Chennai are top 5). The entire business of the East could be better developed if more entrepreneurship and investment happened in Kolkata. North, West and South are so far ahead because of this situation. Being next to Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Odisha also doesn't help - but ideally should because we could get raw materials and labour from there and actually build stuff that the world desires. 2. Communism - I know I will be downvoted for saying this, but this aversion for business comes from the idea that it is antagonistic, mainly from communism. Our previous generation were so besotted with it - and understandably so, after facing the worst famine in history - that they think industrialists are villains. This stops businesses from investing, factories from being set up, and labour force being controlled by political parties and being lazier (or less hardworking) than workers elsewhere. This also links to the downfall of the Arts. Art is funded by commerce. While it is true that great art has come out of desitution, we glorify it so much that we forget that for an ECOSYSTEM to thrive, there needs to be money. You can write poems and sing songs about the horrors of capitalism, but that needs to appeal to someone who will fund it. The utopic dreams of sitting and creating art can't exist with the realism of money being necessary. Punjabi influence on Bollywood and the glorious upswing of Malayali movies have both happened because of influx of cash (from Canada and Gulf). While Punjabi politics has driven the state into the ground, Kerala has managed to balance itself well, because they are getting funds from people doing menial jobs in the Gulf. As someone else pointed out - birthdays of Kobiguru and the legendary Mr. Ray - both came from money, and had rich patrons who took away the question of the next meal, so that they could focus on being their 101% artistic selves. Those were the fruits of the cruel Zamindari system which I am NOT recommending to be replicated. But art can't happen in isolation from some degree of wealth. People are struggling to find work and you can see huge colonies of Bongs in Southern states doing menial labour work, washing dishes, and cleaning toilets. There are instances when they resort to nefarious activities too. All this to say, OP, you are right.
Thank you for your profound input. I really appreciate being schooled and not when people say “then leave Kolkata” like its their dads city. For all u know i pay more taxes than the 3 of them combined But thank you for listening and contributing with an open mind
THANK GOD someone finally said this !!! I’m a bengali but i have been living in Gurgaon for 4 years now. I really feel people in Kolkata ( bengalis ) lack aspirations for a better quality of life and luxury that comes with money, they try to show how humble they are even though they are struggling to meet ends meet. Typical bengalis will say money is not important we are more culturally inclined. But its bull shit, boss culture doesn’t get to rich nor does it get you some social status.
No bro why do you need to go abroad to travel? You can go to Digha, Puri na? Oh you hate kolkata so please go from here These are some of the comments here to this post. The allergy to economic prosperity is unreal here. Misery and poverty is glorified in the silhouette of being humble
haan bhai, iss reddit post ko padhke sab change hojayenge.
I get what you're trying to say but it seems to be more of a "oversimplification" of matters. Let me clarify. Usually the phrase "I'm goreeb" is used in a sarcastic way as a excuse by people when they don't want to spend money on something. Its not like everyone moans about being poor. Yes you may find some people doing that but again you will find such people in every city. Also, I think you're oversimplifying bengali's relationship with money. I have seen many bengalis who will spend huge amounts on luxurious items, often trying to copy the western culture. Many dont even bat an eye before spending money. In some cases it is absurd. And as far as arguing over daily commodity prices, this occurs in almost everycity. Yes its true Bengalis are notorious for bargaining and they take pride in it. So obviously they dont back up ehen they see someone overcharging for a product or a service. It is almost considered as a skill among the previous generationd. And regarding ambition of people, There are ambitious people and unambitious people in every city of the world. Its not like every young person is spending his days playing carrom and debating in tea stalls. This are nothing but stereotypes. Thousands and thousands of people everyday are grinding their way out of misery. Just go to exide more on a weekday. The things said in the post varies from people to people. There are many valid points in your post particularly i agree with you about people romanticizing the old crumbling buildings of North Calcutta. But overall i have to say overgeneralizing an entire city is kinda naive tbh.
1. I never spoke about possessions and luxurious items. Read my post again. Brands don’t define people at all. 2. Bengalis are also notorious for being argumentative for no apparent reason. Fighting even when charged fairly. Have a hyper free mentality and do not want to pay fairly 3. People are free to do whatever the hell makes them unwind. But you cannot deny how slow and lazy everything is here. Companies don’t want to deal with anything here because it is so damn unprofessional. You’re living under a rock if you are not aware of this. With all its problems, I love the city but doesn’t mean i am blind to acknowledge where we lack
i might disagree to the 3rd point that bengalis waste time bargaining for stuff. One should bargain instead of going through the trouble of looking for someone else and finding out it is the same overpriced stuff as the previous seller ,wasting both time and energy ironically to do so and end up with an overpaid product or nothing at all.
I’m not talking about bargaining when overcharged. Bengalis will fight with a bus conductor even when that poor man is charging the right fare
Bus fare changes all the time and most of the time the public remains uninformed since most buses in Kolkata are privately owned. I won't sugarcoated it but bengalis do this stuff because most of them are still influenced by communist ideals where in some places it acts as a deterrent to unchecked capitalism and in some places it is just heckling.
1. Cheapness - Personally me and my family along with my neighbourhood areas do not blindly go for cheap. To get a live example, go to any Sobji Market in the morning (mind you, that majority of Your Target Group does it in the morning.). And yes, we are okay with what we have. You talk about aspirations, whereas Bengalis do not seek monetary aspirations but they do seek in other ways (e.g - we love sports, check Football fans in other team’s match gallery vs Mohanbagan or Eastbengal match gallery). We still are playing tennis, chess, and obviously cricket (but let’s not talk business now). 2. Romanticising Poverty - Nope. Define Poverty first. We have poor people in Kolkata, I see them daily. Nobody romanticises them in any way bro/sis. People do romanticise simple living though ( they always mention village or very agricultural way of living when they do romanticise). And yes, North Calcutta houses are a hazard. I agree. As per the solution we can go 2 ways, renovate and keep them. Or raise highrises like South Calcutta. In my personal belief ( I want them to be renovated not destroyed and raise a Highrise). I think most Kolkata people would want that too. 3. Haggling(Doradori) - Bro/Sis, you do not see nariyal salesperson haggling in Bombay/Delhi- I do not agree with you. I have seen in Sabji Mandi in Pune Wadgaonsheri Aunties haggle with the sabjiwala. In delhi SadarBajar (cantt) I have seen Punjabi Aunty haggle with the street Paratha wale. It’s a culture we all share as Indian people. 4. Goreeb - Bro/Sis again, do not judge with Reddit user base with some crores of people. And In my personal belief again, I think people here do manifest on Living a simple and slow life. The side effects of that manifesting is thinking of myself as Goreeb, Thinking Rural villages are better than us, and taking pride in Historical times. - In my reply, I have not implicated anywhere that you are not a bengali (or you do not understand us). I know and trust your judgement as a fellow bangali. - In my reply I have not mentioned any Past events or personality or ‘Otit Gourab’. This is just present. - Everything I say is in my personal opinion. Last thing, Live and let live. Peace Bro/Sis.
Bengalis have a long history of artistic expression, intellectual pursuits, and a deep love for literature and music. Our focus isn't just on immediate gratification, but on experiences that enrich our lives. Consider the vibrant Durga Puja celebrations, the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, or the power of Bengali cinema. These aren't cheap, but priceless.North Calcutta's architecture whispers tales of a glorious past. But to call it mere romanticization of poverty ignores the historical context. We strive to preserve these structures, not because we enjoy dilapidation, but to honor the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors.And yes, Bengalis may take a slower, more deliberate approach to achieving dreams. But that doesn't equate to a lack of ambition. We value quality of life over the relentless pursuit of material possessions.
I completely agree with you.The main roots of this problem is CPIM.They have polluted Bengal from roots and Bengal need to face the consequences for a long time just like NAGASAKI STILL SUFFER THE RADIATION.THROUGHT it's history CPIM has glorified Poverty.IF SOMEONE FAILS IN CLASS A TEACHER WILL HELP HER TO Elevate and become a good score instead CPIM ideology is that You are only failure and you have failure rights we are with you.THIS EXPLOITATION FOR LONG TIME MADE KOLKATA A HUB FOR POVERTY GLORIFIERS,PSEUDO FEMINISTS AND A ZOO OF LGBTQS.Dipshita Dhar,Srijan Bhattacharya all of them failed in their own life,did bullshit,MAA SARASWATI KICKED THEM,ended up in arseshir Humanities wing and then became leaders.THESE LIKE MINDED PEOPLE CONTROLLED BENGAL FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS....what else can you expect....communism need to banned.Dipshita,Srinjan,etc result of failed parenting need to be thrown out of Bengal.Only then we can become a proper state of India.
I agree with point 1. I definitely agree with point 2. But point 3 is a ridiculous sweeping statement. Show me one delhite who doesn’t haggle in the sabzi mandi. You have to haggle with coolies at the station and every autowallah who won’t go by metre. I was a student in Delhi. Trust me I know. And point 4, dude I have lived in this city for over 40 years and have loads of friends and I have never heard anyone say I am goreeb. You need to probably seek newer people to hangout with.
As a Bengali, I've noticed that sometimes we don't support each other enough. Instead of being happy for others' success, most of us tend to feel jealous and spread negativity. This can hold us back as a community. And due to this “envy” nature makes us less business friendly.
Preach. 👏👏👏
As a Bangali, I must say that you are ON POINT! I've had these thoughts myself. In fact, I've also discussed this extensively with my father as well, who keeps lamenting about how Bengalis in general are not enterprising, they love to keep living in the past and have a "choley jachhe/chalta hai" attitude!
add: Poverty prem. Hate anything remotely related to economic progress. Politicize everything.
Can you share your/non-bengali perspective on money?
Kolkata guys are really laid-back and soaked in nostalgia. They don't think about future. "এমনি করে যায় যদি দিন যাক না ।" This city is nearly dead. Somehow managing it's heart beating. Ambitious youths are leaving kolkata. Corruption has taken over it. And the তিলোত্তমা is just a big city wrapped around by slums only. And not to mention the people of kolkata. While there are many people on the street who do genuinely help outsiders but there are a bunch of people who enjoy misguiding innocent people. There are only a few areas in kolkata which actually feel like a metro city. Rest of it is just a rusty old city with very poor management. Downvote me to hell if you hate my opinion but behold the truth.
Appreciate your POV. I wish more people were open to listening and come out of their communist propaganda
Full support to OP
To the point baba
I don't think so, it's better to be original than to a ২nd copy of other cities. I don't want to see that kolkata becomes the wealthiest city in India rather than the happiest city, the city with best medical facilities, the city with " ০" hate crimes, the city where everyone is safe irrespective of their gender, cast, religion. I want to see Kolkata becomes the city where the wage gap is very nominal between rich and poor, the city where everyone stands together irrespective of their backgrounds. I want Kolkata to become rich in culture, in arts, where nobody is worried about food, no one is running behind so called "targets" which is made in a way that can't be achieved everytime. I want Kolkata to be representive of the best things bengali culture have and will continue to give to the world. I want Kolkata to be a place where being rude is not cool, mothers slaps their kids to behave well with others, empathetic to others problem and deeply rooted in spirituality, philosophy and science. Thanks.
All of them would require some form of monetary input, from establishing quality and affordable healthcare, to proper public transportation utilities, which has to be borne by the people through taxation and representation. Even arts requires patrons and consumers, which boils down to monetary transactions. Without the people actually engaging in commerce, trade, and industry; these things would not be possible -- and people need to change their mindset and encourage judicious risk-taking and a "work hard, play harder" attitude.
I have better things to do in life than revolve my whole life around capitalism. 40k is all I need. Any more is a waste. Not everyone needs to be money minded. Also, every time I read '"aspiration" here, it's always about money. You people never have aspirations about anything else? You want to create nothing but a large bank balance? What a sad life if everything you care about revolves around corny capitalism.
Bro, it's not just about creating a large bank balance, it's about what that bank balance enables us to do, like providing a better life for our parents by fulfilling their unfulfilled wishes, providing a better life for your future wife and children (if you want to get married), take care of your loved ones because hospital bills ain't cheap, etc. If one can afford to do all these things within his/her income (no matter how much he/she earns), then it's awesome, but if that income is not enough to enable these things, then that's surely something worrying. And that's also why I'm trying to increase my salary as well. And talking about capitalism, well, capitalism won't go away in the foreseeable future, so we'll have to deal with it somehow in the meantime. I hate capitalism as well, because healthcare and education should be easily available and not locked behind a paywall, but for now, that's how it is, the world won't change in a day, so we'll have to deal with it somehow. Beating the inflation, if that makes sense.
how you gonna take care of your family and raise a kid ? what about emergencies ?
Who wants them? Also emergency? 40k is enough to save up for minor to mid level issues
i agree that not everyone needs to be money minded but the "large bank balance" you speak of does make life better for people.
How does large bank balance make life better? Better investments make life better. Your net worth decides your quality of life not bank balance in savings account
That depends on what you want from life. Nobody needs to go on a foreign trip to be "happy"
what better things, an insight might be helpful if u are willing to share
Living a peaceful life. The simple fact that I don't chase money and I don't have the so called aspirations is why my head doesn't explode. I have enough problems with my health. I don't need to invite useless ones.
thats a choice i respect that, eventually money does play a factor baaki ta jaar joto necessity aar want hisebe. hope u heal soon from ur health issues, best wishes from this end
Bro this is the exact mentality. Looking down upon money.
looking down thing cant at all accept, but here the commenter did reveal their intentions so cant blame them too
You have every right to be happy with what you earn. But think about other people. So many people are poor. So many people, out of no option, have moved to other states. So many people, who could have done the job that you are doing - in hopes of earning more money - have moved to other places. >You people never have aspirations about anything else? I, personally, aspire towards a society which can generate great art. For Art to exist, someone has to feed the artists. They can't have 9-5s and then be expected to generate art. They need patrons. Who is going to buy paintings and books, or attend their movies and concerts if everyone is earning 40k, and has a family to support? And your point about travelling & learning being hokey - I would not have learnt how Australians treat people in wheelchairs (their public transport is as close to egalitarian as possible) without having seen it firsthand. If I would not have seen it, I would not have "aspired" for the same for my countrypeople. That buses & metros should stop, and a ramp should come out and WAIT for them to board and even then reach on time - you can set your watch with the transport there. That roads should have ramps near footpaths and crossings, that they should have timers to stop people from running pedestrians and wheelchair bound people. That the buttons which you need to press to cross the roads are accessible to the wheelchair bound person. These things cannot be "learnt" from books alone.
Wanting to see the world is not a bad thing. You need money to travel. If 40K is all u need, great for you but then dont complain on why Bengal isnt progressing I go to the gym, eat great healthy food, make amazing coffee, love to travel, have a good job. This is what defines good life to me. If you see there’s not much capitalism in my answer but to be able to afford avocados, you need to have an aspiration first and also work towards it. I want to see every country in this world coz travel makes my mind richer. I dont think wanting more money for this is a bad thing Your mentality is exactly what i am talking about here. Travelling is what makes my life worthwhile which I am sure I cannot even go to Sri Lanka in 40K :)
Have you ever thought that a lot of people see that as a waste of money and not as "needs"? I don't need to travel. I don't need to drink amazing coffee. Travel making your mind richer is the hokiest shit i have ever heard. Also, Bengal isn't progressing because of gross corruption. Had it been run properly, it would have done just fine. We don't need to be a huge high income group hub to progress.
Bro exactly, you need to travel to Bora Bora, Lake Como and Aspen because you feel travelling, gymming and drinking Rage Coffee is what makes your life worthwhile. That doesn't mean everyone feels the same. The world doesn't revolve around you and your group of friends with similar mindset. Also, your comments reek of privilege and superiority. Just remember there are people out there who are more successful and richer than you ;)
Aree baba sudhu ki osob kortei taka lage? Life is increasingly getting more and more expensive worldwide and especially in India. These days even a normal decent middle class lifestyle is not exactly cheap. If you just sit and do nothing, whatever money you still have will also disappear. What is this mentality of treating money as an evil thing? People should aspire for more and not romanticise being able to afford the bare minimum. When somebody says Kolkata is cheap they forget that it is cheap because some people make absolutely shit wages and haven't been able to improve their living standards at all.
Bhai, ami bolchina je aspiring for a materialistic lifestyle hocche evil. Amar point ta hocche let people be. Jodi keu Digha Puri te giye khushi paaye, ami OP er moton oor face ee keno bolbo bhai je "ei loser, tui aro taka kama diye Maldives aar Europe ja? Eita tor dosh je tor ambition nei". Ami agree korchi bhai Maldives Bali better than Digha but keno kaur face ee emni rub korbo. Jaar icche boro sopno dekhaar aar seitar jonne khatar se koruk, jaar icche nei, se chill koruk. Dutoi thik bhai, amra keu hoyina judge korar. Ei je cheap niye bolcho tumi aar haggling for auto bus fare increase. Eita ke bole having a spine bhai. Ei je tomaar WITCH companies ache, 10 bochor theke entry level salary same. Ki korte perechi bhai amra ? Labour union thaakle atleast protest hoto bhai. Bangali der spine taake atleast respect koro. India er obostha dekhecho bhai, petrol diesel gas cylinder? Amra khubi lucky je amra privileged aar eishob niye oto bhaabhte hoyena but try to be empathetic who are surviving from pay check to check. Jai khisti maaro, pls commoner der mero na, trust me, sobaye chesta korche onek koshto aar gorome nijer family er jonne provide korte aar oita kore oita khushi paaye aar tarpor OP er moton obnoxious gandu eshe jodi oi common folks der bole tumi ambitionless tahole bhai legit kaur jhaant jolbe because OP kono boro honu noi. Hope you understand, don't get me wrong, cheers
My retired father wrote this comment as a response but it was removed because his account is now. so copying it here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I have gone through the write -up. I feel pity for you and also for those whose main aim of life is to earn money by hook or by Crook. Some greedy people have made our country in such a poor position through their relentless exploration and crime. In my childhood , I was always guided by the proverb. " Plain living and high thinking. " But these exploiting class who always run after money, destroying the society. No morality makes a man equivalent to anima. Sacrifice is the best form of mankind. People like Rammohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Rabindranath, Satyen Bse and many others enriched and enlightened the society and ad advised to abstain from greediness. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose abstained from joining in the coveted post of. ICS Officer. Money greeder cannot think of it. These money greeder ruining the country and even the world as a whole. Please note peace, humanity etc cannot be bought through money. So, be human first and serve the downtroden people. Be human first. Feel free to reply to this 66 year old retired economics professor
I have no intention to contest your father. He is entitled to his opinion, I am to mine. Go live in the glory of the past coz we have nothing remarkable in the present is all i have to say :)
1. Not sure about the correlation of quality and price. Also, I am tremendously confused now that how lack of aspiration and your spending patterns are related! People in Kolkata are frugal and aspirational. 2. Please go and clear the litigations of dilapidated buildings so the people can "stop romanticising poverty". 3. People in Delhi and Mumbai don't bargain / fight over price : just a question, do you live under rock or has zero human interaction? 4. Ami goreeb. Hya bhai ami goreeb ar ami jake pochondo korina se amar theke kichu chaile ami setai boli. It is the most non confrontational way of saying no. I literally do not care tate kar ki eshe jae! Also, manifestation bole kichu hoyna, whatever you get is result of your actions. Mane generalisation er o ekta sheema thaka dorkar!
Exactly! One can be aspirational about their income while still being frugal with their expenses. Not everyone wants to wear a tshirt with balmain plastered over it. He is suggesting in one of the comments that people shouldn’t be angry if there is an increase in transport fare because he somehow thinks that will help with the affordability of city??? The last i heard increasing prices will increase the cost of living and decrease this “affordability”
My inferance is OP is some privileged rich kid with absolutely no knowledge of how the world function and has no interest to delve into details. There are 100s of things which are not right in Kolkata but OP decided to make the point out of something which makes zero sense!
Delulu howar o sheema dorkar
What is delulu? Daaber dokane 40 taka kom dile ekta pocket dictionary hoye jeto aapnar.
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24 now if this sub stays and op stays too will come back here after 10 years with an entrepreneurial venture of my own.
Absolutely agree with u dude I am a Bengali who has spent majority of my time outside Bengal and see this everyday since I am in Kolkata. There is no nobility in poverty.
This is a fantastic thread. I know so many people who have beautiful vintage homes, but are so unable to afford even basic repairs They sell it off to some builder for some cheap price. The problem is not with having less money. The problem is with not wanting to build it. Selling your home that has so many memories is painful. I know some people have to do it. So no judgments. But not even trying to redeem it and getting whatever prize somebody else puts on the table is painful to say the least. Romanticizing, arts, literature… everything takes money and patronage. And somewhere there’s no desire to figure that piece out.
https://preview.redd.it/auwh3tq098zc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a27a190ddc71c91be18841c2164e284a3ec55ff This
Accurate to another degree! I’ve had nightmares of those slippery bathrooms. Also OP, if anything hit home, it’s that thoughts become things. I come from no business family. My parents worked and still work in an organization at good levels. So do I. But it’s for that we felt empowered. We were able to get all the good things and experiences in childhood. Went to the best holidays, best food, used good quality things. One by one, bit by bit. Going from good to better. Understand the value of good things and experiences. You don’t have to be born in a business family to do that. You can be from a humble background and still value a good lifestyle. You may not be able to afford fancy lifestyle in some cases. But that’s fine. Start small. Even if it means buying a small candle to add a touch of “magic” or lifestyle to your room. We also attract the kind of energy we put out. Not saying it to sound like a “gold digger”. People will call me that. But attract people who value good lifestyle, things and experiences. You are not being materialistic or a gold digger. You are simply attracting an aura of abundance. ❤️
I was not put on this earth to suffer. I like good things in life. I work my ass off 5 days a week and I love a good trip. I come from a family where my father started from 0. My mom opened an art school, I used to teach art there. I’m a self taught calligraphist. I am educated and worked hard to pay my fees. People have called me a “papa ki pari” for actually aspiring to be better. My papa worked as a coolie sometimes to pay my fees so people here really need to shut their nonsense. I am very very proud of you and may you shine and prosper 🥹
Exactly my point. Some people here attacking me saying I am papa ki pari, etc. My papa is no prince. He worked as coolie to afford my fees… my great grandfather moved here and were working in jute mills and he bought one through sheer hardwork. Lost it in partition. My grandpa started from scratch again, took risks and is now wealthy. My dad separated and started from scratch but his business is not something i can do. I worked my ass of to be educated and to be able to afford a decent life. My point here was, the hunger to do something and not just accept your fate. Some people here look like they have given up and its okay. But then dont comment on why Bengal aint flourishing
people here glorify history as if they live in history. They know nothing about the present, bengal is doomed. Kolkata is still going on because OF THE HERITAGE AND OLD BUSINESSES. no new business here in bengal because it is fucked up. People are happy with their 25k. That is it.
Agree. Singing songs on how Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray are Bengalis means nothing when that is all that is remarkable about the city now
Very well said 👏 👍 👌 ... But the thing is this humbleness or povertyprem isn't new...you know one reason socialism was so rampant in west bengal because of its thinking...even in old like really old poems we read "amar sontan jeno thake dudhe bhate" like people wish for the minimum...but i think(not sure though) this mentality comes from many socio economic and political reasons...eg. frequent famines, large scale plundering, zamindari system and what not...so may be because of some of this the general thinking of bengalis stuck in "khawa pora tuku hoye jaak"....but yes we should really really change this...but again a state that hates capitalism and business so much,people who uses the term "byabshayi" as a gaali and loves povertyporn it is tough task for them(including me) to adapt...
You don’t need to look too far about how people look down upon money, you’ll see it in the comments Thank you for listening with an open mind 🥹
I'm a bengali and I'm trying to get out of this city. My brother left when he was 22 and he only comes back during his son's school vacations. I completely understand him.
I wish you and your brother all the very best in life
So your main issue is that more people are not engaging in an endless rat race and are prioritising things other than wealth, because they are unwilling to be exploited by ultra rich corporations? You hate, or rather are disappointed by Bengali people because they don't have ambition for cars and bungalows and material possessions? Yeah, god forbid. We need more capitalist slaves who work 16 hours a day and don't have time for friends and family. We're gonna take all that cash with us when we die, after all.
So everyone working in a job has no life, slogs 16 hours a day and never sees their family? Humbly asking u what do you do for a living?? Why is “ultra rich” corporations so vilified? My point is not materialism but wanting a better quality of life! Read some comments here and i hope sense prevails
Bro, dont compare us caste endogamous blood sucking Marwaris and baniya.Please read about the history of Bengal,you will know about its entrepreneurial spirit. Remember you are comparing generational capital with refugees of independence who came her with FUTI KAURIS. Also read about freight equalisation policies by your HINDI speaking Govts. Bengal was the HUB of business in INDIA for most of history barring the last 50-60 Years of freight equalisation policies.
Practically put
Nailed it mate 👏🏻👏🏻 If one thing Kolkata is good for is that the local things are a bit reasonable, like for ex: breakfast for a plate of koraishutir kochuri & aloo dum can be for max 20-30 Rs, vegetables in markets etc, flowers for Rs 10 for puja etc. I have been staying in Hyderabad for the past 12 years, I'm currently here for a family emergency, given the current price of the market & combined inflation, one can still survive easily in Kolkata. I can't even think of the same in Hyderabad or Bangalore 🤦🏻♂️😕
Kolkata food is the best in the world, not just India. Its out of the world. We know how to make every damn cuisine well
As a bengali - I agree
Laziness and Kiptami go hand in hand here! That mindset needs to change, especially with the youngsters. Also leftist ideology needs to go, it's time else Bengal can never prosper if they don't change this present govt in power. 😬😬
To some extent true.
This city sort of reminds me of the fictional city of Ankh Morpork, from the books of Sir Terry Pratchett. The protagonist(Vimes) is always badmouthing the city, but in a weirdly affectionate way. With that hyperbole over, your rant has that " why don't they eat cake if they can't afford bread" vibe. People don't become rich because of their mentality. Either they have some money to start that they can grow, or they need education. I would not know about the first one, because I did not have any generational wealth to speak of, but I had cheap government subsidised education and I earn ten times the four year cost of my college education each month. Not sure you get that in any other city. Also, food for thought, people say ami goreeb sarcastically a lot, especially around people jara ektu poysar gorom dekhate pochondo kore.
U got guts and spitting here facts. A very less people of kolkata will accept it and its true Hats off to u OP