100 Years of Mohun Bagan’s Historic I F A Win

Today, Mohun Bagan celebrated the centenary of their historic 1911 IFA Shield win. Mohun Bagan (MB) was the first-ever Indian soccer club to have won the IFA Shield beating East Yorkshire Regiment by 2-1 on 29th July, 1911, a red-letter day in history of Indian sports.

Outside the MB club in Kolkata, the main gate has been built in the shape of the IFA Shield trophy, while the main stage for the celebration has been given the shape of a sail boat, the club's emblem. A glow-sign bearing the photograph of the “Immortal XI” of 1911 IFA Shield winning team was also erected outside the club. The header read “India’s first fight for Independence on the sports field.”

The Bengali Alphabet

Many of my artful 'non-Bengali' friends tell me that they just love the Bengali alphabet—because of its ornate curlicues and elegant style. They often wish they could read and write in this beautiful script—not just because of its literary wealth but also because of the sheer visual appeal and beauty of the characters.

However, I have a feeling that more Bengalis are turning 'non-Bengalis' in this sense. While they love the language and speak it, they can hardly read a line of Bangla text or even write their own name in the native letter. This is especially true for our Gen Y and the current progeny of the huge probashi Bengali population that live outside the two Bengals or abroad.

A Short History of ‘Bangla Bhasha'

Bengali, the mother tongue of more than 150 million people around the world, is the first Indian language to develop a major modern literature. Also called Bangla, it is the major language of the north-eastern part of South Asia, now divided between India and Bangladesh. Bengali is the national language of Bangladesh and the state language of West Bengal. It is widely spoken in the neighboring states, and also by the emigrant Bengali and Bangladeshi communities is such countries as the UK and the US.