To be a British Bengali. What does that mean to me? How has the last half century made me the person I am today? We as proud Bengalis stand proud, wherever in the world we may be! What defines us from our vast heritage, existence, the struggles, challenges and victories we have experienced?

One thing that resonates, is that we all hold our heads high as Tagor saab’s athem resonates from our inner beings… taking a fist full of our earth in hand, we echo in unison “Amar Shunar Bangla, Ami Tumay Balobashi…” (My Golden Bengal, How I Love Thee…)!
I was born during the conflicts of ’71 in the UK. I was perhaps fortunate that my mother had travelled to England during the 1960s with my older brother to join our father. For me to be then born in a quaint coastal town in southern England was no doubt daunting for my parents being alone with a young family and so far from home. As a first-generation British Bengali, I grew up through times that diversity was in the form of exposure to a plethora of cultures, resonating with people from all walks of life and to wholly respect where my own roots had come from.
I was born away from a war that rocked the foundations of the circa 148,000 square kilometres of wonderous land that became liberated and independent, Bangladesh. Yet the stories and anecdotes I grew up with ever captivated me. This was my heritage and my connection to who I was.
I recall listening to the stories of the struggles during 1971, the lives lost, and the lives saved. One of many were how my maternal grandfather (Nana) worked hard to protect his family and neighbours during the conflict. These recollections would perhaps have given the story of ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ (by Baroness Emma Orczy 1905) a run for its money as to how my Nana kept the occupying forces at bay. The many lives that were helped and saved through being hidden in makeshift bunkers and hideouts, are stories that resonate across that time.

Then there were those that weren’t so fortunate, fallen through well fought freedom fighting and not forgetting victims of the atrocious ethnic cleansing. May they all rest in peace, our innocent martyrs of war.

I remember hearing how my eldest Mama (maternal uncle) was spirited away by resistance fighters to get him through to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and then safely on to England, was a story within itself. From being confined in small boats on the Mehgna river during the monsoon seasons through to being hidden in cattle carts across the country where occupation and oppression was at its peak.
Our women played an important role too. Their gallantry must be remembered. My maternal grandmother (Nani) was one of these amazing women, showing her strength and formidable bravery during that time too. I remember when I visited in the 80s as a teenager, we walked through the ancestral village paddy fields and mangroves, as she related to me how she and the women folk gathered their families and neighbours to hide in those camouflaged bunkers. She was proud of what she was able to do, and I was in awe at how she and our unsung heroines, remained steadfast in strength through adversity.

These stories were an inspiration for me. Perhaps it defined how I am as a British Bengali.
I am a woman who shares that ‘71 connection of being born with a heritage that saved not only the beautiful Bangla language, rose in self-determination, but also preserved a heritage that spans centuries. An identity to be proud of that has been instilled in me, with the best of both worlds.

For me, the privilege of being bilingual brings me joy. Learning/remembering our history gives me inspiration. Embracing our cultural heritage in every way I can, from adorning a saree through to immersing into many a prose or poetry that tells our Bengali legacy with honour. Watching the revival of ancient skills and revering the key figures in our lives who paved the way to freedom and peace.
So as Bangladesh and I share our 50th this year, the era of independence and freedom will continue even as our Bengali souls spread far and wide across the globe. We will celebrate and remember the brave souls that helped us believe that freedom is ours and peace is precious.

For the future, remembering what my own parents always quoted to me from Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar’s* words, “ Amar onek kichu shikar baki royeche” “I have much yet to learn!”. I too have passed this mantra on to my own children.
I believe we are continuing to learn as we live and who knows where we as Bengalis will be, but know that our stories and heritage will live on through the hearts and minds of our generations to come.

*Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar was a 19th century Bengali scholar and social reformer with the accolade of “Ocean of Knowledge”.

Rosey Woodhead

Re-balance.org