Trend and Attitude of the Rajbangshi Community: towards School Education through Language

Linguistic justice in education is a priority in the contemporary world, and Rajbangshi-medium schooling and mother-tongue textbooks are viewed as solutions to marginalisation. The acceptance of Rajbangshi or Kamtapuri as a standard language served as the impetus for the current ethnic conflict, and once again, the struggle between Bengali and Kamtapuri languages played a role in North Bengal's ethnic strife. The struggle continues for Kshatriya status, linguistic rights, political sovereignty, and, finally, dignity as the community straddles its glorious royal past and present marginalised circumstances; the story of the Rajbangshis is a testament to larger stories of ethnic and regional self-respect across South Asia. This dissertation will analyse various aspects of Rajbangshi society: its historical trajectory towards gaining Kshatriya status, its linguistic recognition and political demands, and, finally, the persistent struggle for human dignity and equality across the political divide.