Bengali Identity

The robbing of our plural identities not only reduces us; it impoverishes the world.
     Amartya Sen, winner of Nobel Prize in Economics, 1998

Bengalis, who live abroad, should recognize their plural identities in order to avoid an impoverished vision of humanity as unalterably divided into camps of religions, languages, cultures, politics, and national boundaries. We are Bengalis; we are Bangladeshis or Indians; we are Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists or Christians; we are American/Canadian/Australian citizens; and we are liberals or conservatives. This recognition of plural identities is the building block of Anandamela vision.

Professor Sen further argues that, "Each of us has many features in our self-conception. Our religion, important as it may be, cannot be an all-engulfing identity". Therefore, it is a truism to say that our national identities cannot define our identities entirely. According to Sen, "Dividing the world into discrete civilizations is not just crude. It propels us into the absurd belief that this partitioning is natural and necessary and must overwhelm all other ways of identifying people. That imperious view goes not only against the sentiment that 'we human beings are all much the same,' but also against the more plausible understanding that we are diversely different."

We, therefore, should respect and leverage this diversity in all our efforts, be it cultural, religious, or political. It is imperative on us that we show respect to all other cultures, religions, and political opinions and teach the same to our children. That is the essence of culture.

In a world divided by false theories of clashes of civilizations, Professor Amartya Sen is a voice of logic and hope. Professor Sen is a fascinating writer. You can read his autobiographical note here.

Sen's books are very thought-provoking and full of new ideas.

Click here if you are interested in reading few more interesting excerpts from the writings and speeches of Amartya Sen.