Pabitra Sarkar

Pabitra Sarkar in an author and former Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.

Rammohun Roy’s Grammar(s) of Bangla

Although Rammohun Roy was notably many things, he was not an unlikely person to write a grammar—or, in fact, two grammars: one in English and one in Bangla, the latter being a free translation of the former.

5m ago

Vangiya Sahitya Parishat, the first Bengal Academy of Literature

‘Academy’, as many of us know, is a word that comes from the French word ‘academie’, evolving from Latin ‘academia’—the ultimate ancestor of both being Greek ‘akademeia’.

9m ago

Haraprasad Shastri: An Unusual Pundit

Haraprasad Shastri (1853-1931, Bhattacharya was the original family name) was a Sanskrit scholar, commonly referred to as a ‘pundit.

11m ago

Language Controversies in 19th Century Bengal

The very fact that a language identifies and defines a specific human group often leads to controversies and conflicts.

1y ago

75 years of Partition: A young boy's loss

I belong to a generation that was overtaken by the pestilence called Partition.

1y ago

Dr Muhammad Shahidullah: A tribute

Dr Shahidullah is one of the greatest linguists that the South Asian region has produced. This is a universally acknowledged fact and one can easily use it as the beginning statement of an article on him.

2y ago

Tagore’s idea of nationalism

If you look for a definition of the word ‘nationalism’ on Google, or in an encyclopedia, you will find quite a few.  However, this word, like many such words, is ‘notorious’ in its own way, as no single definition seems to define it thoroughly.

2y ago

Language Worries Bangla in West Bengal

From the later decades of the last century, a new worry has descended on mankind — that about the endurance, decay and death of the language.

2y ago
June 24, 2024
June 24, 2024

Rammohun Roy’s Grammar(s) of Bangla

Although Rammohun Roy was notably many things, he was not an unlikely person to write a grammar—or, in fact, two grammars: one in English and one in Bangla, the latter being a free translation of the former.

February 12, 2024
February 12, 2024

Vangiya Sahitya Parishat, the first Bengal Academy of Literature

‘Academy’, as many of us know, is a word that comes from the French word ‘academie’, evolving from Latin ‘academia’—the ultimate ancestor of both being Greek ‘akademeia’.

December 4, 2023
December 4, 2023

Haraprasad Shastri: An Unusual Pundit

Haraprasad Shastri (1853-1931, Bhattacharya was the original family name) was a Sanskrit scholar, commonly referred to as a ‘pundit.

February 27, 2023
February 27, 2023

Language Controversies in 19th Century Bengal

The very fact that a language identifies and defines a specific human group often leads to controversies and conflicts.

December 9, 2022
December 9, 2022

75 years of Partition: A young boy's loss

I belong to a generation that was overtaken by the pestilence called Partition.

July 18, 2022
July 18, 2022

Dr Muhammad Shahidullah: A tribute

Dr Shahidullah is one of the greatest linguists that the South Asian region has produced. This is a universally acknowledged fact and one can easily use it as the beginning statement of an article on him.

May 9, 2022
May 9, 2022

Tagore’s idea of nationalism

If you look for a definition of the word ‘nationalism’ on Google, or in an encyclopedia, you will find quite a few.  However, this word, like many such words, is ‘notorious’ in its own way, as no single definition seems to define it thoroughly.

February 21, 2022
February 21, 2022

Language Worries Bangla in West Bengal

From the later decades of the last century, a new worry has descended on mankind — that about the endurance, decay and death of the language.

December 14, 2021
December 14, 2021

A Squirrel’s Tale

All of you know about the squirrel from the Ramayana, who rolled himself on the sand at the Indian seashore and then dipped into the Indian Ocean, to shed the sand off its body on the presumption that he was helping to build the bridge across the sea that would enable Rama’s forces to reach Lanka.