'Bengalis belong to India,' says Taslima Nasreen; Javed Akhtar highlights 'Ganga Jamni Awadh culture'

Taslima Nasreen (L) and Javed Akhtar

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has stirred a cultural debate with her remarks on the roots of Bengali identity, asserting that Hindu culture forms the foundation of Bengali culture. Her comments drew a response from noted lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, who stressed the importance of appreciating the “Ganga Jamni Awadh culture.”

Nasreen’s post appeared on the morning of Ashtami during the Durga Puja celebrations, one of the biggest festivals among Hindus. Sharing photos of Durga pandals and other cultural events, she wrote: “There is nothing to conceal: Hindu culture is the foundation of Bengali culture. We Bengalis—whatever religion or philosophy we may have embraced over the course of history—belong, in our national identity, to India. The forefathers and foremothers of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and even atheists of India were all, or nearly all, Indian Hindus.”

She added that even Bengali Muslims are deeply rooted in these traditions, not those of Arabia. “Even if a Bengali is Muslim, his culture is not the culture of Arabia. His culture is Bengali culture, and that culture is rooted in Hindu tradition. The beating of drums, the music, the dance—these are the primal expressions of Bengali culture. This is what it means to be Bengali. To deny it is to deny oneself.”

Often outspoken about Islamic traditions, Nasreen insisted that the cultural identity of Bengalis transcends religious divisions. “We Bengalis—whatever religion or philosophy we may have embraced over the course of history—belong, in our national identity, to India,” she wrote.

Responding to Nasreen, Akhtar acknowledged the significance of Bengali culture but emphasised that India’s cultural identity also rests on syncretic traditions such as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. “We the people of traditional Awadh have great respect for Bengali culture, language and literature. But if someone is unable to appreciate and respect the great Ganga Jamni Awadh culture and its refinement, its sophistication, then it’s completely his lose [loss]. This culture has nothing to do with Arab,” he said.

The Ganga Jamni Awadh culture, often referred to as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, represents the composite Hindu-Muslim traditions that have historically flourished in northern India.

Akhtar further noted that cultural influences from outside India have shaped Awadhi traditions but always on local terms. “Yes Parsian and Central Asian cultures and languages have seeped in our culture and language like western culture but on our terms and conditions. BTW many Bangali surnames are in Persian,” he added.