Dear Ms. Romila Saha,
This blog post is with reference to your article in the Indian Express July 1, 2006 edition where you refer to my blog thusly:
But for most Indians, the blog functions as a forum to connect with others. Take, for instance, blogs like greatbong.blogspot.com where Bengalis from around the world write in.
Now there is a little bit of confusion as to what you mean by “writing in”.
Let me make things clear. For those who do not know what blogging is (and I am sure you are not one of them), there are two distinct concepts in a blog—-1) the blog post ( the original content posted by a blogger(s)) 2) comments (reader’s reactions to the blog post).
When you meant “writing in”, you could have meant either of these two things:
1) Bengalis from around the world comment at greatbong.blogspot.com and the said blog serves as a forum to connect these Bengali commenters.
The problem with this assertion is that my commenters are not all Bengalis—many of them have a net Bengali vocabulary of “Bhalobashi” and “Kemon ache?”
As a matter of fact, some of the commenters actually do not like Bengalis.
Of course, that still does not refute the above interpretation because you never said “only” Bengalis come to this blog to connect.
Accepted.
However the impression it does convey is that there is something intrinsically Bengali about the “writing in”s at greatbong.blogspot.com.
However that is hardly the case—-most comments have nothing to do with Bengali life.
Even more important is the fact that the commenters (Bengali and non-Bengali alike) do not “write in” to the blog to connect with each other. This is not a “social networking site”, nor is this Calcutta chat room on Yahoo. Noone says “a/s/l”, nor do the “commenters” try to make “franship” with each other. At least not here.
They come to read the posts (many of which, may I repeat, have no connection to Bengali life and the Bengali experience) and they come to read the opinions of other commenters. In that way, greatbong.blogspot.com is about as “connecting” as the message boards on Indian Express or on TOI or on Rediff.
2) Bengalis from around the world write posts at greatbong.blogspot.com and the said blog serves as a forum to connect these Bengali post writers.
Last time I looked, I was the only person who wrote posts at greatbong.blogspot.com. Now I have gained a few pounds over the years and you could be forgiven for thinking I am two people. At the most. Actually 1.3 people to be fair.
But Bengalis all over the world? No Ms. Saha— I need a few more hotdogs and cheeseburgers for that.
Of course it might also be that the “greatbong” name is a facade for multiple personalities encompassing the gamut of Bengali identities, all trying to desperately connect with each other inside my brain by “writing in” under one moniker.
So while physically I am one person, mentally I am…
Muha ha ha haaa………..
And oh my site is http://www.greatbong.net—-the blogspot blog has been defunct for many months now.
Thank you
Greatbong
[PS: There was a shorter post covering roughly the same points that was online for about 40 minutes (comments 1 to 11 are based on the older one, if any of you want your comments to be removed because of the change: do tell)—-I have replaced it with a fuller discussion, based on some of the comments, so that the point I am trying to make is more clearly expressed.
PPS: Actually it was another greatbong who wrote the shorter post. This one has been written by the real one.
Muhahahah again.
]
The Greatbong Blog & Podcast 
haha. That made my day.. err week.. err month!
@Pratyush:
Bengali 1: Ha ha ha
Bengali 2: Stop laughing….cant you see I am trying to concentrate?
Bengali 3: Bring back Sourav Ganguly !
Kee bolshesh dada?! Amee Bengali Nahi!
This was priceless!
Suyog
PS: Excuse my bad err Bengali!
PPS: Bring Back Sourav!
@Suyog:
Bengali1: Excuseddd….
Bengali2: Dada, what is going on ?
Bengali3: Screw it all ! Bring back Sourav Ganguly.
LOL! Fame comes in mysterious ways.
Ms.Saha must have seen your comment box which regularly feature 100 comments but why the Bong Network implication? Time to rename RTDM as Bong Connect?
may be you should change your name to “greatbongs”
দারà§à¦£ à¦à¦¾à¦²à§‹, দাদা. :-). Specially liked the Bengali1, Bengali2, Bengali3 part. As Ms. Saha menions Bengalis from around the world; you can start writing as Probashi Bangala, Bhodrolok Bangala etc perhaps. 🙂 (Can’t think of the third option readily – Silchar bangala may be?)
@Prateep Mojumdar previously known as Patrix:
Bengali1 (B1): God knows……..
B2: Fame? For all Bangalis…..
B3: This Greg Chappell is a monster….
@Srivjit:
B1: Indeed
B2: This is gowment office…kindly keep deegnity.
B3: Dada dada dada…
@Nandan:
B1: Keowra Bangali is the 3rd.
B2: Inquilab Zindabad.
B3: SG was victimized because he is a Bangali. Yes I have proof. Yaas.
[GreatBong] Perhaps you can start the “Bong Network” so that all Bongs (and aspiring bongs) can start “social networking”.. That might get attention from the slimes also 🙂
btw, how about having B4 in the discussion for discussing “Bappi-da” ??
Cheers, GHE
Well it’s only because my sweetheart was a Bengali so I patiently read your Prabhuji posts all these years.
But this ‘Mithya Aarop’ by Ms Saha on non-Bengali visitors!!!!!!
No way!!! Eeeeeeeeeee Na Cholbe!!!
🙂
Mukul
Mukul,
As Arnab pointed out, it’s not clear whether this lady wants to say that that all commenters are Bengalis or whether she wants to say that the posts are written by different Bengalis (that is the impression I got). In all actuality as Arnab points out, this Romila Saha has gotten her fundas about blogging seriously wrong, is unable to understand the difference between posts and comments and is also unwilling to even go through the blog she is writing about (hence the outdated URL). Lazy, atrocious reporting.
Still do not want the government to step in and control these people, Arnab? 🙂
Bhalo posht. Aame ektu baangla jaani, keentu bangali hobe na.
Tho your content does have a Banglaland content bias (i mean that in a scientific way) and solid flavour – given Jamshedpur heritage it also brings back fond memories of all the Bongdom we had around.
But hey, thats more coverage for you, so enjoy maadi, as they say around here.
May be you should have color tags for Bengali and Non – Bengali ‘Commenters’ then Romila would know what actually goes on this forum. Not that she was ever here anyway. Ok, bad example of racism. Who gives these people their jobs anyway???
So, am I eligible to post comments here any more or not?
🙂
Cheers,
HP
Khasha reply :D:D
Bhodromohila clearly is clueless about what she is writing,direct inference from your blog name and comments.She makes it sound like a Probabshi Bongosanskriti Mela!!!
BTW I am commenting here for the first time, though have been reading your blog for somtime now. Another bong comment added :))
Hmmm…she went by the name people. She must have an urgent deadline to meet, had to put some blog reference for her “networking and meeting new ppl” point (the fact that she thinks blogs are networking forums shows her bloody ignorance) and must have got the greatbong.blogpost.com link on Google. Only a Google search would have given her a defunct link, there is no way she has ever read this blog or else she wuld have known about the shift to “.net”.
She must have wondered, “there is the “bong” and there is the “great”. This has to be where bongs come and make franship and do a/s/l giri” (sorry for the internalisations, GB. Had to use that!!).
Now even Express seems to be joining the Toilet paper gang.
Nomoskar,
Why are taking offence dada ? When my friend’s choto pisir daughter came to my place she passed on to me this information. That was not far back, kobe jeno, eei to eei bijoya te. Now if you keep changing your address seta ki my fault or what? And what is all this confusion about posting and comment and what all? A web site is a web site is a web site, na ki? Who ever writes at Greatbong, is a greatbong, period. Joto sob nidhiram sardar (as in kaj nei kammo nei …)er dol
Rome…ila
i am a marathi speaking puneite now in Hyd
i regularly visit this blogspot and comment too bcos i dont know how to write in
Ms romila , may I?
I’m not a Bengali, but shall we be frans(not the country from which a certain guy head butted with someone else) GB, only on cyber space…coz I live across the seven seas…
Sonar Gachi Aami Aschi
Ok, sorry, I am leaving 😐
Reaction of some famous Bengalis to this incident :
MITHUN-DA : Ayeeeee Saala !!! Ami’o Bangali achhi. Ami’o post korbo. Saaaaalaaaa Chappel ke dekkhe lebo.Tui chaaliye ja, GB…kon mai-ka-lal ki boley ami dekhe lebo.
BAPPI-DA : I am a baangaali too. I am a GREAT BONG. I am the Royal Bengal Tiger of Meujic. I cawmpoj only orijeenaal meujic. Sourav should be in the team. All my tunes are orijeenaal.
KESTO MUKHERJEE : Ye he ! He ! Am-am-amake bhule geli naki re? Ami’o post korbo. He he. DaNra, ar ek pint mere ashi tarpor .
DIDI : E shob-i baamfront shorkar-er shoRojontro. Chokranto kore ora Chappel ke coach baniye Sourav ke Team theke ber kore dilo. Ekhon ora Arnab-er biruddhe chokranto korchhe. CHOLBE NA. CHOLBE NA. Ami jonoshadharon ke ahban janachchhi aaj er protibaad-e esplanade-e amar jonoshobhaye shaamil howar jonne. BAAM-FRONT SHORKAR-ER KAALO HAAT BHENGE DAO, GUNRIYE DAO.
@ Arnab:
I haven’t really read Ms Saha before this and I don’t know if she blogs on a regular basis. Even if she doesn’t, she should have known the difference between a weblog and a community-portal/chat-room, which she doesn’t really seem to be knowing.Also, I doubt whether she has actually ever been to your (or somebody else’s for that matter) blog. She might have come across your alias (i.e Greatbong)somewhere and made her own conclusions about it.
Maybe we organize a marathon of Prabhuji movies (how many are there -100, 200?) and force Romila to sit through all of them like Alex from “Clockwork Orange”. Maybe Prabhuji should make a copy/paste movie called “Basanti rang de ghadi”. Hope Vikram Bhatt gets the DVD of the Kubrick classic before Sanjay Gupta does.
YOURFAN writes:
@GB: I just read Ms R Saha’s article. I also share my opinion with Anand and others that Ms Saha got her fundas all wrong. She does not know the differences between posts and comments. O.K, if people over 50 in general (there may be exceptions) in India are not aware of what blogging is all about I can pardon them. That brings few questions to my mind.
1. Is Ms Saha over 50?
2. Even if she is; since she is writing an article in a newspaper (IE) she should have her facts right. And it is not an opinion that I am talking about – which can of course be varied. It is just a definition – one who reads blog knows the difference between posts and comments. If she does not even know the rudiments of blogging, then how is she allowed to publish an article about blogs?
3. That brings me to the third question. Doesn’t anybody in IE check what is being written? If not how do they decide whose article is going to be published and who’s to be rejected? Isn’t IE losing credibility?
4. This one is not a question but an observation. That is she is atrociously lazy as she referred to a defunct url.
5. That raises a very serious question in my mind. Are all journalists or I should say majority of them whose articles we read and talk about and finally which to some extent shape our opinions based on wrong information(again I am not talking about opinions)? Are majority of the journalists who send articles to newspapers appallingly lazy and do not check for the factual errors? Or Ms Saha is just an aberration?
6. The query made by Aravind: Who gives these people their jobs anyway???–is my last query.
Keep on writing well. May be soon you will unite all the Bengalis in the world – that is not a mean feat!! May be then IE will ask you to write something about Bengali behavior about why we unite on blogsphere(!!!!) for “a forum to connect with others†but have two different Durga pujas in the same high rise building(may be because the organizers of pujas are mostly over 50 – my valued opinion!)
@Ms Saha: My one cent annoyance to you is that how can you draw such conclusion “where Bengalis from around the world write in.� Madam, we don’t read blogs based on our cast, culture, religion, financial status etc. Show us a little bit of respect and accept that we are intelligent people too – may be not to the ‘high level’ where you belong where the writer who writes about blog does not know the difference between posts and comments. We read specific blogs based on our individual preferences. Thru our comments we want to make a statement which may or may not find similar views in that blog. But most of the readers (at least I) for certainty don’t read/comment on blog for “But for most Indians, the blog functions as a forum to connect with others as a forum to connect with others†as you have written. May be that is your case but please don’t generalize unless you have solid statistical data – your published view should not be based on just conjectures or adda.
One bong—–A poet
Two Bongs—-A theatre group
three Bongs—-Communist Part of INdia..
Morea than 3 bongs…A huge demonstration to bring back saurav ganguly on the streets of KolKutta!!
1) m not a bengali
2) I don’t not like bengalis (not a typo was supposed to sound wierd!)
3) I comment on this blog
Am I on the wrong blog? Nope….the fact remains it is the overwhelming desire of categorising stuff to make other people to write stuff quoted by u GB.
And if greatBONG was misleading, she did not read your FAQs 😉 wot say GB??
And yeah at the Bengali 3 of your comments GB….won’t happen 🙂
Here am Nigerian oil mony in bank for you help. It would departure you 10% of fortune for your plese help. Bring back Saurav Ganguly. Contact immediaty on troll@dada.net
Great post greatbong! I was ROTFLOL : ). May god give Ms Saha the strength to handle this.
Obligatory “Bring back Dada!” and “Greg Chappel, Hai, Hai!” chants as mandated by all great Bengalis, including those who do not understand the difference between forums and blogs. However, why are most Bong forums full of Bangladeshi (ugh!) porn (double ugh!).
Note : I am a good Ghoti boy!
And Cholar Dal, Posto, Kosha Mangsho and Luchi are far more effective at becoming a greater Bong than those Westernised foods made by those ‘Rashkal’ Americans.
Bengali 1: What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.
Bengali 2: Prabhuji ki jai ho.
Bengali 3: F*** Chappell, bring back Ganguly.
How dare she think I am a bong:)
dont be so rude on ms saha, GB !
she (being a bong herself), just happens to read the ABP one saturday morning few months back, thus learnt about blogs, heard your name.
so, when the feature Ed. asked her to write about blogs, she readily accepted. and why not mention GB, a fellow bong’s name, she thought !
;))
Your alter ego is actually Batman.
@Yourfan
Loosen up will you? Everyone, including Arnab is taking this as a huge joke – this mistake on this Romila woman’s misguided opinions on blogs. Why are you so riled?
@Arnab
As far as I can see:
1. More bongs seem to visit your blog than many others bloggers’.
2. Actually, more Bongs seem to write blogs than other Indians.
3. heh heh…I have no statistics to back up my previous two statements – a bit like Romila Saha.
@Arnab
On another note, Dada evidently gave an interview (Hardtalk BBC) where he sais that he had given up on captaincy and also that he would “not be devastated” if he didn’t get back into the team. But he was not planning to retire, and that is he performed domestically, he would expect a recall.
MOST IMPORTANTLY –
@Arnab, Sorry for the truncated previous post – submitted by mistake.
As I was saying, most importantly, Dada is planning to write a book to clear the air about all the contriversies! The book will deal with matters on the field and some off the field as well. BUt he says he’s too laxy to write a 600 page right now, but that he will sooner or later.
Can we book an advance copy?
Shan: the reports of him writing the book are done by ignorant people…perhaps with limited understanding of nuances of spoken english.
I saw the interview myself done by Rob Bonnett (sp) and that part about book was where SG specifically said that he *won’t* be writing a book. Yes, he also said that he is too lazy to do a 600 page book, but also that he wont be writing a book, and his story, when it comes out at the end of his career, would be through media.
This is when Rob, already desparate for the regular share of controversy, picked up the mention of book and said “oh a book, and a 600 page long….so what would the chapter titled Chappell read?”…and this is where SG chose to give a lighthearted response – ‘you’ll find out when you read it’…
Watching the interview, I had absolutely no doubt that SG gave no disclosure on any book he planned to do (whether he does it or not).
And throughout the interview, I also felt quite happy at the way SG dealt with the provocations. I thought he gave absolutely no room for a post-interview controversy or mix-ups. But I guess I underestimated the media 🙂
achha my profound heartfelt apologies…i was the one who told her about your blog and did much praising to the skies but she seems to have left out most of what i said…also am mortified at being named twice in the article in two different forms and not having my url publicized…howl, not only do i not get blog publicity, i now am suffering from an intense identity crisis!!
Great Bong(s)
I pray that you “write posts” and we get to “write in” for a long time.
This was like just like the “Maitra won Mahajan” or “Wild Wild dreams” article…
Way to go !!!
Sir be happy u are getting publicity and once ppl read yer blog who wil give a damn abt certain Romila Saha
the earlier anon was me 🙂
Hi GreatBong,
I read your blog on Mithun Da.It was very nice.At times I have also felt that Mithun Da is not that which the media often portrays him to be.I have read on the sidelines about the subtility of his personality.Mithun Da to me seems to be a man who has seen a lot of shades, ups&downs,friends & foes, the temporary relations but amidst all this one urge that does not let him settle peacefully like other traditional actors, is the urge to go on.Without going into the qualitative aspect of his movies I think he is fighting well for the revival of bengali cinema.I find his urge to go closely resmbles with that of Sri. Devanand sahab.Whether or not the world takes notice of them,shower them with accolades or brickbats, they won’t stop because their journey seems to be their destination.
Though I am not a shraddhalu fan of Mithun Da, I did like his movies when I was small(last one seemed Agnipath or Cheetah) and due to this media portrayal, even I doubted his judgment of just hanging in there,just for the heck of it.At times I laughed at him and doubted his acting skills till I saw Mithun Da in this telefilm.
Arnab to tell you frankly Mithun Da has increased the intensity my faith in Sri Ramakrishna.(I am so excited to share this with you, its 1:15 am,& I still want to write on). I was mesmerised by his character, to see Ramakrishna in as he was; was not mine but of millions of his devotees.
It was Fantastic–No Match.
I did try to decode your email, to directly write to you but see I am not that smart enough(ironical!!).I was coming up with what not–there are so many meanings which can be drawn from that silly pic.(I ma amking tols of tamiskes cuz ia sleepy(yawn!))bye.
Any way if you really like this blog plz. mail me ur response at chanakkya_energy@yahoo.com.
Sincerely, Chanakkya
Some one please ask Romila Saha to read and understand the blog before writing.
I wonder who gave her job? I guess JJ Jameson.
And I wonder how she deduced every one was Bengali, I guess she has done a user survey of folks visiting Arnab’s blog.
@GHE: Borkut this may become.
@Mukul: “All these years”—its been 1.8 years……okay maybe it seems like 10 years.
@Anand: Nope :-)….I still dont think the government should step in.
@Sameer: Whatever Bangla-land flavour may be because of my origins but the topics are very rarely about Bong matters…
@Aravind: Ah well. *Not* an example of fine journalism is what I can say.
@HP: 🙂
@Malini: So she does.
@Dhananjay: The thing I always wonder—arent their any editors around?
@Rome-ila : Jay Sourav Ganguly.
@Varsha: Well Ms. Saha?
@Aditya: If you were Aditi…maybe maybe…
@Gaurav: I was just waiting for that.
@deBoLiN: Yes that was the problem. She misrepresents “blogs” as some kind of community bulletin board which is hardly the case.
@Mandar: Pins in the eyelids…aww man.
@Yourfan: I presume if she was over 50, she would have had researched her article more. Just a bit of laziness…..of not even checking if the URL is current or not.
@Bhanu: Theek.
@Gourav: If Ms. Saha had read the FAQ then she would have visited greatbong.net. Problem was that she wrote about me without even bothering to type a URL into a browser.
@Ngyan: Kindly send me your bank account number first.
@Sachin: If she ever finds it !
@K: More specifically Bangla chotis !
@Anirban: Yep.
@Vin: The nerve !
@Indranil: Except as far as I remember ABP had my URL correct. And didnt present RTDM as a Bongo Sommelon.
@Gamesmaster G9: Yes ! Now let me go find Robin and we can have a gay time in the bat cave.
@Shan: Maybe because more Bongs are jobless and have no lives?
Yes that interview was great. The BBC guy kept sending him outswingers and Dada refused to nibble. If only he had shown such restraint in his cricket.
@BabelFish: Yes I noticed that too—I felt it was to protect the connection between Babelfish and your real name…..now you too come across as a split personality for those of us who know your real name. Is this Romila a student of your university?
@Sanjay: 🙂
@Clairvoyant: While I am a great publicity hound, what I dont appreciate is being “misrepresented”….many people who read IE dont know what a blog is and I wont blame them for thinking that my blog contains collections of pieces written by different Bengali people. Bad for my monster sized ego isnt it?
@Chanakkya: Mithun’s qualities have never been in any doubt. He is one of India’s most talented actors—but I only wish he had not prostituted his acting by appearing in the worst movies that could be conceived by human beings.
@dOne: She could have…if only if she had ever bothered to visit this blog.
Ms saha inspires me to write on things i absolutely know nothing about .
so i am going to write to ISRO why their sattelite launch failed.
Gosh journalism seems easy!
Always thot Rajiv Shukla was a joker who repeats wat all journalists have finished dissecting .
But many more gems r coming in this trade
@GB: 🙂
@Debolin: super comment
There may be editors around. But who knows they may also be this ignorant!!
I am a regular on your blog. To think of it yes it has got a heavy dose of bongism. But what i like is it is not a stupid self lauding stuff, which offically would have attracted the xenophobic crowd. It is basically potshots at your icons. Good this deflates a lot of hot air from the sons of soil types.
Wish also had great punj , great mallus, great tams etc blogs to clear lot of farts from the air.
“The problem with this assertion is that my commenters are not all Bengalis”
Dman, I was thinking by commenting on this blog I am fooling the world that I am a Bengali. Now my cover is blown.
Good post Bengali2. Bengali1 and Bengali3, try to learn from Bengali2.
Our acoumt number to 10123-5221 for Bank fo Northampton. You will kindly help yor acoumt for 10% departure? Brimg back Saurav Ganguly for proud of India and go-out Chapal back.
hmm… u r famous man. and with fame comes controversy!!
Now, did you really need to react so strongly to the article? It seemed exaggerated and unrequired.
@Mysterious Girl: Yes exactly. We should never react to bad reporting especially when it relates to us. You may not it…but one of us Greatbongs over here is a megalomaniac who does not like the fact that his blog (i.e. his personal space where he alone is in charge of the content) is referred to in a newspaper as a community posting site of Bengalis all over the world.
Incidentally, you know what is unrequired and exaggerated—bad reporting and poor journalistic standards.
On the topic of the quality of journalism, I was reading Namrata Joshi’s review of Superman Returns (translated to ‘Shanghateek Manush Phirey Elo’, for RTDM’s core audience) in Outlook. She gets two crucial facts wrong in the second para – “So after six years, Superman returns to Daily Planet to find that the world, more so Lane, has moved on. She has won the Pulitzer for an article, Why the world doesn’t need a Superman, is now in a steady relationship and also has a fragile son to take care of.” Guess which are the ones 🙂 But more importantly, in this day & age of Google & broadband (ask Nikhat Kazmi of ToI – http://jaiarjun.blogspot.com/2004/11/whorism-in-film-writing.html), is it that hard to do basic fact checking?
MR. TOUCHE GREAT BONG, WHAT IS SO DEMEANING IF YOUR SITE HAS PREDOMINANTLY BONG VISITORS AND TOPICS. TECHINCALLY THE ARTICLE MUST HAVE CONFUSED BETWEEN POST , BLOG & CHAT ROOM , BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOUR BLOG IS BONG CENTRIC.
YOURFAN writes:
@divi: 1.There is nothing demeaning if anybody’s site has any particular group of visitors which could be based on ethnicity, age group, professional groups etc etc.
2.But my question to you is what statistical data you have to categorize RTDM being visited predominantly by bong visitors. I have been an old reader of this blog and I can say that it is not predominantly visited by bong commenters. If you have the time and patience then you can check from the archive of this blog how many bong commenters comment and how many non-bong commenters comment. I can’t say about the visitors in general as I don’t have any statistical data about visitors( I am not talking about commenters) and I must add neither do you.
3.As for topics being predominantly being bong: It is so easy to do – just go thru the topics (you don’t have to read them) and tell us where do you find “predominantly†bong centric posts? I am sure you meant majority when you used the word ‘predominant’.
4.How can you conveniently make light of an issue where the author of an article did not have the professionalism to do the little bit of research before writing the article in this age of google etc (as rightly pointed by some commenters)? You are not being fair by any standard.
5.You have every right to have your OWN OPINION of RTDM being bong centric. But you DEFINITELY DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO GENERALIZE and make a sweeping statement like that (read all the commenters who joked about being non-bong yet being the regular visitors/commenters of this blog). So next time you send in your comment anywhere (not just here) please make sure to write that in your opinion you think so and so. We have not elected you to be our rep.
@Shan:
You wrote ‘@Yourfan: Loosen up will you? Everyone, including Arnab is taking this as a huge joke – this mistake on this Romila woman’s misguided opinions on blogs. Why are you so riled?’
I am really surprised that you think that GB has “taken this as a huge jokeâ€. It seems you didn’t understand. First after reading your comment to me, I thought may be I misunderstood the post – of course I was not convinced. Then after reading the replies made by GB to other commenters where he writes about Ms Saha’s lack of professionalism which shows his disgust – not his amusement; I am convinced you need to “loosen up†and be not “so riledâ€.
I agree with you completely on protesting about bad reporting. This case, however, seemed to be making an issue out of a point (i.e. your blog being a “community posting site of Bengalis all over the world” ) which was perhaps not even the central thrust of the article. I was taken aback by your response, I must admit.
Truce on this issue. I am not confronting you, so hope you don’t take it as such.
@divi:heavy dose of bongism? when ?where?
okay, okay , a real heavy battering. Honestly this is a blog i enjoy immensely. so please do not intreperet my comment as i am taking shots at the blog.
one always relate to ones surrounding. There is nothing wrong in that.But taking umbrage at this factor is completely uncalled for.
what that ill educated lady meant was this site has bong isues in pominenece which obiously atracts the bong crowd.i have no issue you questioning her professionalism but her contention remain.
I am a non-bong, and i picked up a lot of bong nuance from your site…. durga pooja stuff etc.
So ultimately her contention stays , you will get to know bongdom through this site.
YOURFAN writes:
@divi:
1. My comments to you were not because I THOUGHT that you don’t like this blog. Whether you like the blog or not is BESIDE the point. As I know now you like the blog even then I would send the SAME comments to you. Most importantly anybody can disagree with the writer’s view on a particular post (provided it is civilized) yet like the blog. So many people who like this particular blog (expressed thru their earlier comments) have disagreed with the writer in different occasions (me included).
2. You have no right to call anybody “ill educated ladyâ€. Calling a journalist (no matter how deeply one disagrees with her/his views) ‘ill educated’ does not depict the commenter in a respectable manner. It is beyond any decency. Let me be perfectly clear about the fact that I don’t know this journalist (actually never heard of her) personally and I did not agree with her view. Yet I am protesting about your calling her “ill educatedâ€. This is personal attack and name calling which is deplorable.
3. You again wrote in your second comment “one always relate to ones surrounding. There is nothing wrong in that. But taking umbrage at this factor is completely uncalled for†– as if anybody (including me) is taking any indignation at his/her surroundings. I categorically wrote that there is nothing wrong about that. As far as I can understand I don’t see any place where GB has contradicted my view. But it seems you did not bother to read it.
4. You did not bother to substantiate your view by answering my # 2 and #3 comment (which relates to your assertion of this blog being bong centric) yet you stick to your opinion of this to be bong centric. In other words you didn’t or couldn’t substantiate your opinion with statistical data. If you say “I am a non-bong, and i picked up a lot of bong nuance from your site…. durga pooja stuff etc†– that is fine. But you are just one person among a huge number of visitors/commenters in this blog. . Your single experience does not make “So ultimately her contention staysâ€.
5. My last comment is why do you think anybody who does not agree with you and sends constructive comments (not abusive) is giving you “a real heavy batteringâ€? We (me, varsha and others) have no personal enmity with you to give you “a real heavy batteringâ€.
Pauli would have said to Ms. Romila: “I don’t mind your thinking slowly, but I do mind your writing faster than you think.”
Oh! I love his insults.
Great post as usual.
bring back dada
ms. saha is bamfront er b -team
hai hai
i want shosher maach(err).
hehe
Do people in Bengladesh say they are Bengali or do they say they are Bengladeshi?
Greatbong-baumoshay, aap khub bhalo-bhalo poori tarah se impartial likhchen… Sourav ke liye likhchen… poora pan-Indian topic aachen… Rasogolla/maachherjol bhi likhchen nehi… saaf sutra non-Bangali content rakhchen… CPIM support korte aachen… woh bhi all India party aachen… Mithunda bhi asal mein Bombay/Ooty ka hero roichen… Kolkatta passion Fifa Cup leke 100% international blog rakhlen… Aami khud Kolkatta mein 25 years roichen… so personally I am also Bangali aachen… isliye apaas mein aami aap ko Bangali-to-Bangali shuddh non-parochialist solidarity dikhachen… Chaaliye thakun…!!
@ S.Pyne: Simply brilliant! Aap bhhi chaaliye thakun, please! Aapnaar asadharan sundar Bungali sune sabai apnaakeo Bungali babu hi pehchaanbe. Dhanyavaad, bahut diner porey aami haansi diyechi…. ROFL!
Well I am a bong and proud of it.
Well I am abong and part of it. How about a post about the middle east.
Oh dear, Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Like Babelfish I have to say ‘mea culpa’. I was interviewed over the phone about blogs for the article as well but clearly none of what I said registered. Don’t worry, I will twist the perpetrator’s ear about it. I though she would get online and at least read a few of these sites before writing. Serious omission not to have done so.
Now lay off, you people, and forgive the folly of youth. You don’t want to put her off blogs for ever, do you?
Ekla cholo ekla cholo ekla cholo re
eita to blogspot, bongspot na re
Hey people,
Was going thru this blog, got interested in the said issue bout bad reporting, but was the article bout this blog????
Have been a reader of IE since ah was in delhi, never read anything bad bout this blog per se. SO what’s all the humdrum bout????
Or r u guys jus a bunch of “nothing better to do” ers like me & jus killin time????
Usually there’s a reason behind meanness & being jerks but if u r like me & jus like gettin on people’s cases, then enjoy!
May Ms. Saha be guillotined for giving this blog publicity
Yaha!!
Sourob banglar gourab
bakira shob kaurab
tumi eka pandab
Best way to figure out the composition — take a poll. Bong/Non-Bong/Wannabe as choices.
I have to admit, to a casual observer, a majority of people commenting appeared to be Bong or from Bengal. Again, this was the appearance, not based on fact.
hi
ms. romila are u related to rahul mukherjee?????
er-
what do you mean –NO fransip!
i have made MANY friends on your comments section.
Bengalis suck. So does Bengal. I’m myself a Bengali and hate myself for being born this way. Bengalis love to live in nostalgia, play sports and are basically lazy by nature. The only saving grace for them is their “kaalchaar” which makes them come across as self-conceited, egoistic idiots. Most Bengalis are stubborn and won’t get along with any other community in India. The so-called “intellectual” Bengalis can be the most arrogant bastards you’ll ever meet. Most Bengali parents are authoritarian by habit and allow little personal freedom for their children. The kids as a result turn out spoilt, over-pampered and devoid of responsibility. Bengalis are mostly a lonely people because Bengali relatives are some of the most selfish assholes in the world. If you happen to be in a town which has only TWO Bengalis, chances are they will never get along with each other. Bengalis do love to spin a yarn and fabricate their hallowed past – Bengalis have a Mastery in the art of leisurely pursuits such as playing cards, reciting poems, conducting political rallies etc. Yes, politics is also integral to Bengali family staple. Almost all Bengalis are political activists of some form even at the cost of their professional work. They just don’t care.
And here’s the juicy part – the MINORITY of Bengalis who do succeed in their lives and are famous understand the fact that Bengali culture sucks and they had better abandon it for their own good.
I hate being among Bengalis except on a one-on-one basis. I don’t like to attend any Bengali cultural functions because there is no spark or creativity only some idiotic old people running the show and more politics.
Bengalis have a lot of passion and that’s a good thing -they can be the forerunners of several creative ideas, inventions and new technologies like the British or Germans -only if they knew to redirect their energies in the right way. But no, they choose to destroy themselves, their State and everything in existence because of this overdose of “intellectuality”.
Being a Bengali is a curse and I stand by my statement.