Ekhankar vs. Okhankar: Dialect Hierarchies and Identity Rifts among Bengali Muslims

Abstract

This article examines the internal linguistic and cultural divisions within the Bengali Muslim  community of West Bengal, focusing on the Ghoti–Banglai divide. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, Goffman’s theory of stigma, and Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence, it analyzes how native inhabitants (Ghotis) and migrant populations (Bangals) negotiate a  hierarchy of dialects and belonging. Using a constructivist ethnographic design, the study is  based on 200 semi-structured interviews (100 Ghoti, 100 Bangal), approximately 150 hours  of participant observation in West Bengal and Bangladesh, and textual analysis of literary  and historical works. Findings show that “Calcutta Bangla” operates as prestigious linguistic  capital. At the same time, eastern dialects are devalued through ridicule and “humourizing tension,” producing symbolic violence and encouraging practices of “passing” and  “covering” among Bangla speakers. The label “Bangal” is tightly bound to refugee stigma,  prompting Ghoti Muslims to assert native (“ekhankar”) status to avoid a “spoiled identity”  associated with migration. The study argues that shared religious and linguistic affiliations do  not produce ethnic homogeneity; instead, historical traumas such as stigma magna and the  1971 Liberation War continue to structure an enduring yet often concealed rift. By  dismantling the monolithic category “Bengali Muslim,” the article foregrounds intra community borders of language, memory, and status that shape everyday life across  generations.