Sylheti nationalism (, ) is a cultural and social movement to assert an exclusive Sylheti identity rooted in the language, history and culture of

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

. Sylheti nationalism has developed in different forms over time under British colonial rule and in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

, in independent

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, among Sylhetis in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and among diaspora communities in the West. The primary objective of the Sylheti nationalists is to be recognized and preserve the Sylheti culture and language. They claim that Sylheti is not a dialect of Bengali but its own language. The Sylheti language is undergoing a revival in Greater Sylhet and the diaspora, bringing with it great symbolic significance. For example, it was featured in a 2017 exhibition and workshop held in

Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and includes much of ...

(

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, UK) titled "Bangla is not my mother tongue" by the visual artist and spatial designer Osmani Saif. The Silchar-Sylhet Festival, also known as The Indo-Bangladesh Festival is one meant to bring the Sylheti communities divided by the Partition of 1947 back together. The festival aims at bringing celebrations of Sylheti culture by staging local art, cuisine and handicrafts as well as discussion of cross-border ties between

and

. Emphasizing the importance of linking various cultures and establishing new relationships between the cities of

Silchar Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is locate ...

and

, the festival is both a cultural and diplomatic event. Dignitaries from both countries are likely to participate in the festival, again emphasizing the importance of the event in strengthening bilateral ties.

Sylheti nationalism in Bangladesh

, Sylheti is primarily spoken in the

Sylhet Division Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...

and the surrounding districts. Sylheti Nagari Alphabet Monument

It is not officially recognized as a distinct language, it is often considered a dialect of Bengali. However, there have been attempts at conserving and spreading the Sylheti language and the Sylheti Nagri script in Bangladesh, with some movements demanding recognition of the language and preservation of its cultural heritage. Sylheti has unique linguistic features in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar that set it apart from standard Bengali.

Sylheti nationalism in India

The Sylheti people in India live in Barak Valley, Hojai,

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

Meghalaya Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills an ...

and

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. Sylheti identity has been shaped through history due to migration, change of culture and arguments related to language, prominently so after Partition in post- Partition India.

was formerly part of

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

and formed a part of East Pakistan (Bangladesh today) in 1947, following mass Sylheti-speaking

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

population movement into India, predominantly

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

and Tripura. Such migration caused an independent Sylheti identity, which was normally separable from general Bengali identity even when linked. In Assam's Barak Valley, there has also been an ongoing controversy over whether Sylheti should be accepted as a distinct language and not a Bengali dialect. Organisations such as the Society for Protection of Sylheti argue that Sylheti has distinguishable linguistic features and must be identified separately from Bengali. This is a valid argument in the education and administrative policymaking sectors where Sylheti speakers are grouped under Bengali. Besides linguistic identity, globalization and cultural assimilation have also influenced Sylheti traditions in North-eastern India. Modern influences, media exposure and migration have led to a slow erosion of traditional Sylheti traditions and use of the Sylheti language among the younger generations. The majority of scholars and community leaders emphasize the need for cultural preservation to maintain the distinctive heritage of Sylheti people in India.

Sylheti nationalism in the West

There are Sylheti diaspora communities in the West, especially in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. They are known as

British Bangladeshis British Bangladeshis () are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots are from Bangladesh. Bengali Muslims have prominently been migrating to the UK since World War II. Migration reached its peak during the 1970s, with ...

and are sometimes referred to as "Londonis". In the United Kingdom, estimates of Sylheti speakers vary. Some sources suggest there are around 400,000 Sylheti speakers, with the largest concentration residing in

Brick Lane Brick Lane () is a street in the East End of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest, mo ...

. However, other estimates, such as those from the

Joshua Project The Joshua Project is an Evangelicalism, evangelical Christian organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs, United States, which seeks to coordinate the work of Christian_mission#Contemporary_concepts_of_mission, missionary ...

, report approximately 122,000 Sylheti speakers in the United Kingdom. Brick Lane Banglatown

The

SOAS The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

Sylheti Project (SSP) was initiated at the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

(SOAS),

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, with the aim of documenting and raising awareness about the

Sylheti language Sylheti (Sylheti Nagri: , ''síloṭi'', ; , ''sileṭi'', ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken by an estimated 11 million people, primarily in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, Barak Valley of Assam, and northern parts o ...

. The project, from the Linguistics Department, collaborates with the Surma Community Centre in Camden to engage with the local Sylheti-speaking community. Activities include creating educational materials like the

Sylheti Nagri Sylheti Nagri or Sylheti Nāgarī (, , ), known in classical manuscripts as Sylhet Nagri () as well as by #Etymology and names, many other names, is an Indic script. The script was historically used in the regions of Bengal and Assam, that were ...

writing practice book and compiling a Sylheti dictionary. In addition to Bengali, some schools in the United Kingdom have included Sylheti among the list of students' native languages. Many British students from Sylheti-speaking families are unable to speak standard Bengali, having instead acquired Sylheti as their primary language.

Sylheti nationalism in East Pakistan (1947–1971)

, Sylheti nationalism sometimes found itself caught between the broader Bengali nationalist project and the desire to preserve a unique cultural-linguistic heritage. During this time, early thinkers and local groups spoke out against the disappearance of the Sylheti language and culture under the umbrella of "Bengali nationalism".

References

{{Ethnic nationalism Sylheti language Political movements in Bangladesh Politics of Assam Nationalism in India

Nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

Nationalist movements in Asia

Sylheti nationalism in Bangladesh

Sylheti nationalism in India

Sylheti nationalism in the West

Sylheti nationalism in East Pakistan (1947–1971)

See also

References