Talk:West Bengal: Difference between revisions

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Bengal history

I have noticed that under the link 'Bangladesh', there is a brief history of that country starting from 13th century , but here under 'WestBengal' there is no history attached . However how Bengal / Bangla / Bangali were evolved from one to two thousand years BC , was an enchanting story and good to know. Every bangali whether originated from westbengal or bangladesh should feel great when they know this very ancient history . So, my request , if that old history can be added in this link. Thank you. from : pramita@comcast.net This has alrady been done.

Bangla wiki

The Bangla wikipedia is just taking off, but unfortunately, there are not too many wikipedians from West Bengal in the bangla wiki. So, I'd request editors from West Bengal to join there and add the articles on West Bengal, Kolkata etc. Please check out http://bn.wikipedia.org . Thanks. --Ragib 02:07, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

Governor of West Bengal

This article is required in Wikipedia. --Victor.P.Das 21:00, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

Governors of West Bengal is in an ok-ish status as of now.--Dwaipayan (talk) 03:06, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Religion?

What is the current religious breakdown? Also, percentages for the demographics section? pfahlstrom 23:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Demographics has been updated, including religious data.--Dwaipayan (talk) 16:47, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Flora and fauna

I'll work in the flora and fauna, which is the part I can probably most contribute to, since I'm a biologist by training, but it might take me some time. I'll probably write it offline as a hart summary and link out to a separate page. Give me a week to compose it offline and I'll have it ready to be added next week. Take care all. Great job so far Dwaipayan --Anirban 20:16, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

You can write a large article named Flora and fauna of West Bengal, and add its gist here in the of West Bengal, and add a link to larger one as the main article. See rhe history and Geography section for example. Thanks.--Dwaipayan (talk) 11:44, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

The West Bengal page section for Flora and Fauna is done. Sometime I'll write up a larger article. --Antorjal 14:49, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Kansai Link

I just removed the link to "Kansai" in the geography section. This is because the link pertains to the Kansai region of Japan (e.g. Kyoto, Osaka), not to a Bengali river. If anybody has a disagreement with this for whatever reason, please discuss your views here. Thank you! --Kuaichik 22:38, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Hi... I've linked it to the Kangsabati River which is another common name for the Kasai. Thanks for spotting the link. :)--Antorjal 01:47, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Ganges delta map

80% of the land mass shown in the map is actually the Bangladeshi side of Ganges Delta (you can determine this by locating Hatiya, the large island at the mouth of the Meghna River. WB is visible only at the lower left 15-20% of the satellite image. So, is there a better map available that shows more of WB? --Ragib 17:40, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah. Will try to find out one better/replace with something else.--Dwaipayan (talk) 10:05, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

West Bengal districts map.

• I downloaded the excellent svg file created by deeptrivia and modified it per Samir's suggestions in the peer-review using Inkscape.
• Modifications :

1. Midnapore District has been bifurcated to show both Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur.
2. Numbered and listed districts per comments at peer-review.
3. Font size reduced for clarity, since the districts are now listed.
4. Many of the spellings did not conform to linked articles in the text. All spellings now match the West Bengal article spellings.

• Unfortunately, the file works fine with software but doesn't format correctly on the page itself - [1]. So I've created an exported png bitmap file too and I'm using that one - [2] until the experts can fix the svg file (which would be awesome). Take care and please don't mind the ineptitude of a novice :P. --Antorjal 14:29, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

The map needs immediate modification. The whole Asansol sub division of Bardhaman is being shown as part of Bankura. Serious error! Someby please fix this. Remember, Bardhaman is to the north of Damodar while Bankura and Purulia to the south of it. Antorjal, can you take this up? Crackjack (talk) 22:16, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Sports Section needed attention

The Sports section need some reference as well some more information. The section looks more like of Kolkata rather than of a state. Important sport personalities should be added like Sourav Ganguly and other. Amartyabag 04:38, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

citation

I have to say some "citation needed" tags are odd, specially the one claiming a reference for "Durga puja most popular festival"--ppm 17:55, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Why is it odd? — Indon (reply) — 20:40, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

because it seems like the least controversial statement in the article. its like "west bengal is an indian state" (citation needed)--ppm 22:22, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Citation isn't used solely for controversial statements. Do you think that every readers should know that "west bengal is an indian state"? One common knowlegde for someone does not mean that it is also common knowledge to someone else. Now, please tell me why Durga puja is claimed to be the most popular festival? — Indon (reply) — 22:37, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

You answered yourself. There isn't a citation needed mark for "west bengal is an indian state". Why? Citations are valuable real estate. They should be used for controversial statements, or statements where there is a need for elaboration but not in the text. For example a survey should be cited, because people might want to know who was the surveyor, what was the statistical method employ, exactly how many people were surveyed etc. What would a citation for Durga puja serve? By the way, I am not suggesting that there cannot be a citation for it. I just don't understand why such a citataion is INDISPENSABLE for the article.--ppm 00:48, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

I asked for the source why Durja puja is called "popular". Provide that with your source. Otherwise remove the line. All things that you wrote in WP must be supported by a reliable source. Yes, there isn't a citation for "west bengal is an indian state", but if somebody asks for that, you must be able to supply your source.

And the way you answer "You answerd yourself", is very uncivil.

— Indon (reply) — 09:47, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Not all citations have to be in the same article. For example, "West Bengal is a state of India", here, the India article is the appropriate place to add a citation to this fact, rather than going to all of the state articles and repeating the same citation there. When an internal wikilink suffices, adding citations just makes the article cluttered. --Ragib 02:11, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Hey, I did not ask for that fact. I asked the fact that why Durja puja is popular. — Indon (reply) — 09:47, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

But the methodological question remains. Is it okay if the article Durga Puja has that info (I think it does)? --ppm 18:49, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, I agree that if someone wants to see proof that West Bengal is an Indian state, it must be provided. But once everyone is convinced, should it be in the article? I don't think so. What kind of encyclopedia cites the first sentence?--ppm 18:52, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

clarification

"though Hindi and Urdu may also be used." - why "may"? is this a matter of legality or common practice?--ppm 18:43, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Do we have to mention the number of MLAs and also the number of constituencies separately? -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 14:16, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, number of Assembly Constituencies is 294 while that pf MLAs is 295 (including one nominated from Anglo-Indian community). That's why it was thought that both should be mentioned. What do you think?--Dwaipayan (talk) 15:23, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Bold text

Battle of Plassey ?

In the article West Bengal, it is written that,'Their influence grew until the British East India Company gained taxation rights in Bengal subah, or province, following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, when Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab, was defeated by the British.[8]'. Is the spelling Plassey correct, or it should be Palashi? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sreerup (talk • contribs) 07:39, 6 February 2007 (UTC).

Since this is the English version of Wikipedia, I say Plassey be the accepted spelling. But a line could be entered that spells it in bengali and transliterates it as poloshi once for completions sake.Taajikhan 23:09, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

It certainly should not be called the battle of Palashi, just because it's called Palashi now. Take for example, the battle of Stalingrad - Stalingrad has been Volgograd now for decades, yet the battle has never been called the battle of Volgograd, has it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad --Blenheim Shots (talk) 22:39, 9 July 2008 (UTC)

Plassey is nothing but the anglised version of Palashi. The place was called Palashi even before the war and continue to be called so by the local people. But as this is the english wikipedia, we will continue with the Plassey, the more common form. Amartyabag ^TALK2ME 01:32, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

Land acquisition clashes

In the "History" section, I added a bit on the repeated clashes against administration on the industrial land acquisition issue that are occurring in 2007. Since this is a featured article, I thought it would be wise to declare that in the talk page. Please comment if you think this addition is unnecessary/ needs modification. Regards.--Dwaipayan (talk) 08:28, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks Dwaipayan for writing a very neutral statement on this matter. This is one of the bad event which occured in our state. I think we can start a new article regarding this (which is supposed to be vandalised very often), already something is written in the Nandigram page. Amartyabag ^TALK2ME 10:40, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Pronunciation clip

...is totally useless. It's pronouncing the English name, LOL. Tuncrypt 03:49, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

Change in description of Durga picture

I have changed the definition of the Durga picture from "an idol" to "a Murti (representation)" of Durga. It is common misconception that Hindus worship idols. Calling these representations idols is as incorrect as referring to the Cross or similar representations of Jesus in the same manner. Idolatry as defined in Wikipedia itself is "a term used in religion for the non-monotheism worship of cult images, termed idols." This is not what the image of Durga represents.

Well the word Murthi is translated in English as idol or sculpture, right ?? And since this is the English version of Wikipedia, I think only English words should be used. Anyone else agrees with me ???? Aparajita —Preceding unsigned comment added by Help Always (talk • contribs) 12:02, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

Nepalese people

Most of the ethnic Nepalese people (people collectively called Gurkha or Nepali consisting of Limbu, Rai, Tamang, Newar, Sherpa, Khas Bahun, Khas Chetris, Lepcha, Bhutia etc) in India live in West Bengal and Sikkim. In West Bengal, they reside mostly in Darjeeling region . Although they are a minority, I think mention should be made about these people and use of Nepali language mostly in Northern districts where they have a significant population. Thanks. --Eukesh 18:23, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Its needed and just perfect. Regards.--Dwaipayan (talk) 19:24, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

I think it is equally important to add a few lines about the culture of Darjeeling, preferably one or two lines each para or to make a seperate para itself.I have added a see also tag to the article. Amartyabag ^TALK2ME 08:45, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

Aryan, Dravidian divide

"when the region was settled by Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman and Austro-Asiatic peoples. The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown, though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang that settled in the area around the year 1000 BCE.[4] After the arrival of Indo-Aryans," It's been very hard working out what is Aryan or Dravidian, considering how the Aryan Invasion Theory has mainly been scrapped...this bit really needs to be changed..there is little difference between the peoples of Northern India and Southern genetically...the linguistic divide does not mean we have to split India into two...gee...this early part needs to be properly researched!!!Domsta333 (talk) 08:47, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Edits by User:Radar signal

Radar signal (talk · contribs) has been adding a "section" on "religion". I have removed it for the following reasons:

• The section is redundant, religion is already covered under demographics. Any details (as added by Radar signal) can and should go to sub articles (perhaps "Hinduism in West Bengal")?

• The information was also entirely pov ... it focused on only 66% of the WB demographic, and was opinions rather than referenced facts.

This is a featured article, and all significant structural changes need to be discussed here first. Thanks. --Ragib (talk) 20:49, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, Radar signal, is informed not to incorporate such material without discussing them at the talk page of the article. As Ragib has suggested, it would be ok to create an article like Hinduism in West Bengal and have a section on saints there, with adequate references.--Dwaipayan (talk) 05:12, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

• • only 66? But it still represents the majority. If you believe the other populations are under-represented then you gladly are welcome to add edits on them. - radar signal —Preceding comment was added at 06:31, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

• I believe that the religion section of the article is essential to explain to Wiki viewers if the religious customs of the people of West Bengal! I believe it is very important to discuss the caste diversity amongst Hindu devotees. - radar signal

• • This is a featured article, and NOT the sandbox. The demographics section is already in summary style and there is no need for further details. As suggested, please focus on the sub article Hinduism in West Bengal for such peripheral details. Thanks. --Ragib (talk) 07:37, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Once again, I request the user Radar signal (talk · contribs), and his myriad anon IP addresses, to heed to the above advice and stop disrupting this featured article. Also, I request the user to refrain from making personal attacks. Thank you. --Ragib (talk) 09:15, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Once again, I request the user Radar signal (talk · contribs) to refrain from dumping random religious information here. This is a featured article, and you can't dump info here like this. --Ragib (talk) 22:45, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Edits of radar signal

Before making edits to this article, which is a featured article, read WP:SS, and WP:V. Some sentences in your additions is WP:OR, and needs appropriate citation. (such as, "West Bengal Pride itself as one of the most secular states in India.")

However, more important here is sticking to WP:SS. First, try to make an article like Saints in West Bengal or Hinduism in West Bengal. Then try adding a gist to West Bengal, that too it deserves a mention in the article. Naming so many less notable saints is in no way deserves a place in this article. Some, who deserves a mention, such as Vivekananda, ramakrishna, Chaiyanya etc have already been mentioned in "Culture" section.--Dwaipayan (talk) 07:55, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Once again, Radar signal is at it. I'd like to remind him once again, this is an FA, please don't dump random, redundant, pov sections without getting any consensus. Already explained to you multiple times in this talk page. --Ragib (talk) 20:25, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Once again, Radar signal (talk · contribs) is back to his usual reverts against consensus. Please stop. At least, please discuss here in the talk page. --Ragib (talk) 02:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Users 'Dwaipayan' and 'Ragib', it is not up to you both to decide what information can and cannot go on the page. If the issues are West-Bengal-realted and are not in anyway abusive to any ethnic group, they will be presented. - Radar signal —Preceding comment was added at 02:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Finally, a reply!! Anyway, you have not mentioned/justified the addition of a large amount of text into a section already written in summary style. Also, your addition is quite lop sided in terms of demographics and religious distribution. Remember that this is a featured article ... if you want to add/make large scale changes, you must discuss things here and get a consensus about the material. I urge you to heed to Dwaipayan's advice above, i.e. to create an article on saints first, and then add a sentence or two long gist of that here. Until then, don't dump random, non-summarized, pov text here. Thank you. --Ragib (talk) 02:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

User 'Ragib' wrote, "large scale changes"? This is merely little information related to West Bengal. User 'Ragib' wrote, "get a consensus about the material"? I don't require the concensus from vandals. Behave with Wikipedia rules of civility. - Radar signal —Preceding comment was added at 02:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Dear Radar signal, you are making a personal attack in your comments. Yes, you do need to get a consensus to make large scale undiscussed changes to a featured article. This article has been declared a featured article because it has met several strictly defined criteria, including summary style, neutrality etc. Your additions are not in summary style; also the text is POV and provides undue weight to the topic, and is redundant at different parts. --Ragib (talk) 02:54, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I have seen the edits of Radar signal, they are completely full of POV statements, being a FA every matter can't go in the article, this article follows summary style. You may create a sub article like Hinduism in West Bengal. Moreover your comments are full of personal attack. Dwaipayan and Rajib both are experienced users and their revert are completely justified. You may discuss your addition here. Amartyabag ^TALK2ME 05:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC) Put a Kaibash on Radar signal