India, Aug. 27 -- The statement by Bengal BJP president and Member of Parliament Samik Bhattacharya that people of Rajasthani, Bhojpuri and Hindi-speaking backgrounds who have lived in Bengal for generations are also Bengali is not merely a political statement. It opens an important discussion about Bengal's social structure and India's pluralistic character. Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari's support for this view makes the issue even more significant. It reminds us that the identity of a state cannot be defined by language alone; it must also be understood through social participation, cultural belonging and shared citizenship.

Bengal has historically been a plural society. Kolkata and other parts of the state have been home for gener...