https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=KangluKanglu - Revision history2026-07-31T21:55:02ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kanglu&diff=481561&oldid=prevBharatwiki Socrates at 09:23, 8 May 20262026-05-08T09:23:21Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>[[File:Elderly Man with Hennaed Beard - Old City - Dhaka - Bangladesh (12850630365).jpg|thumb|The term '''Kanglu''' is sometimes stereotypically associated with Bengali Muslim men whose [[beard]]s are dyed orange with [[henna]]. Critics note that ordinary cultural grooming practices are often distorted in online discourse to reinforce prejudicial stereotypes regarding poverty, nationality, or immigration status.<ref name="courthouse">{{Cite web |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/orange-is-the-new-gray-for-bangladesh-beards/ |title=Orange Is the New Gray for Bangladesh Beards |last=Agence France-Presse |date=2019-10-25 |website=Courthouse News Service |language=en |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref><ref name="observer">{{Cite web |url=https://www.observerbd.com/news/224108 |title=Why orange hair is everywhere in Bangladesh |website=The Daily Observer |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref><ref name="straits">{{Cite news |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/i-look-a-lot-younger-and-handsome-orange-is-the-new-grey-for-bangladesh-beards |title='I look a lot younger and handsome': Orange is the new grey for Bangladesh beards |date=2019-10-25 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923 |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref>]]<br />
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Kanglu'' (pejorative)}}<br />
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'''Kanglu''' ({{Langx|bn|কাঙ্গলু}}), also spelled '''Kangla''' or '''Kangu''', is an ethnic and xenophobic slur used primarily in parts of [[India]] against [[Bangladesh]]is, particularly Bengali Muslims. The term is derived from the Hindi word ''kangal'' (कंगाल), meaning “destitute”, “pauper”, or “beggar”. <br />
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The word is commonly encountered in online hate speech, nationalist trolling, and anti-immigration rhetoric.<ref name="jaman">{{Cite web |url=https://ualberta.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/74ab3482-7966-4830-b1b0-f9a81614e519/content |title=Misinformation on Social Media: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Analysis of Users' Engagement with Religious Misinformation |last=Al Jaman |first=Sayeed |type=PDF |publisher=University of Alberta |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref> It is frequently used to portray Bangladeshis as impoverished, uncivilized, or illegal migrants, especially during discussions surrounding immigration and border politics in eastern India. <br />
== Etymology ==<br />
The term originates from the Hindi and Hindustani word ''kangal'' (कंगाल), meaning “poor”, “destitute”, or “bankrupt”. Linguistically, the term appears to combine ''kangal'' with “Bangla” or “Bangladesh”, producing a mocking ethnic label directed at Bangladeshis.<ref name="urban1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kanglu |title=Kanglu |website=Urban Dictionary |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref> The alternative form ''Kangla'' is used an offensive ethnic slur for a Bangladeshi person. Related derivatives include ''Kangladesh'' and ''Kangladeshi''. <br />
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== Usage ==<br />
The slur is used predominantly in online spaces, including social media platforms, imageboards, meme communities, and political discussions. It is particularly associated with anti-Bangladeshi sentiment in regions bordering Bangladesh, such as [[West Bengal]] and [[Assam]]. <br />
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The term has appeared during debates surrounding the [[National Register of Citizens]] (NRC) and the [[Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019]] (CAA), where undocumented Bangladeshi migrants are often portrayed as economic or demographic threats.<ref name="jaman" /> Researchers examining Bengali hate speech and online misinformation have identified such expressions as examples of ethnic hostility and dehumanizing rhetoric.<ref name="jaman" /><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Bangla Hate Speech Detection on Social Media Using Attention-Based Recurrent Neural Network |journal=arXiv |last1=Das |first1=Amit Kumar |last2=Asif |first2=Abdullah Al |last3=Paul |first3=Anik |last4=Hossain |first4=Md. Nur |date=2022-03-31 |url=https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.16775 |access-date=2026-05-08}}</ref><br />
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The word has also been observed in online cricket rivalries and nationalist trolling culture.<ref name="urban1" /> Some commentators have compared its usage to other ethnic slurs common in South Asian internet spaces. <br />
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== Social context ==<br />
Critics and anti-hate researchers argue that the term reinforces stereotypes linking Bengali Muslims and Bangladeshis with poverty, dirtiness, criminality, and illegal migration.<br />
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== See also ==<br />
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* [[Anti-Bengali sentiment]]<br />
* [[Bong]]<br />
* [[Pajeet]]<br />
* [[Paki]]<br />
* [[Malaun]]<br />
* [[Xenophobia]]<br />
* [[Ethnic slur]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Ethnic slurs]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Bengali sentiment]]<br />
[[Category:Bangladesh–India relations]]<br />
[[Category:Internet slang]]<br />
[[Category:Pejorative terms for people]]<br />
[[Category:Bengali Muslims]]<br />
[[Category:Hindi words and phrases]]</div>Bharatwiki Socrates