Salahuddin Sumon, one in all Bangladesh’s most well-known YouTubers, was in India not too long ago. However why? In an unique dialog with IndiaToday.in he tells his story and rather more.

YouTuber Salahuddin Sumon at Sela Go, Arunachal Pradesh.

By Tiasa Bhowal: It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Salahuddin Sumon’s YouTube movies are in a method instrumental in bringing folks of two Bengals nearer, India and Bangladesh. Now, for individuals who have no idea Salahuddin, he is likely one of the most well-known YouTubers in Bangladesh, recognized for producing wealthy content material about historical past, tradition and journey. His content material isn’t just restricted to his hometown, Bangladesh, however the journalist-turned-YouTuber likes to journey to India as properly, partly as a result of his curiosity and majorly due to his zeal to present his viewers higher and extra in-depth content material.

Now, an important query that pops up right here is, how does he have such an enormous fan base in India, particularly Bengal? For that, we have to dig slightly deeper into historical past.

Only a few persons are conscious of the political panorama that was prevalent within the 70s. India was already underneath quite a lot of turmoil due to the post-Independence tussle occurring between the fledgling nations. Current Bangladesh was often known as East Pakistan and the inhabitants consisted of each Hindus and Muslims. However as a result of a significant exodus, an enormous part of the Hindu inhabitants needed to migrate to West Bengal throughout that point, abandoning not simply properties and homes, however buddies and kin too. Salahuddin’s content material makes some folks nostalgic, whereas for others it’s simply an perception into their ancestral land.

Salahuddin was in India not too long ago the place he travelled to states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. He was completely spellbound by the tradition of the northeastern states.

“I visited Nagaland not too long ago and I used to be mesmerised by the picturesque landscapes, folks’s existence in addition to their tales of bravado. There’s a small village in Nagaland which is known as Khonoma. This was the one village which was not underneath British rule. The explanation why Khonoma may by no means be occupied was the truth that Nagas are nice fighters. So, every time there was an assault, they might simply topple the British military. Furthermore, the village is located ready which was advantageous for the folks to struggle off the British throughout their fight,” Salahuddin stated whereas talking at size about this small village and the courteous residents.

Talking about his Assam tour, the YouTuber stated, “Once I went to Assam, I used to be moved by the welcome I acquired there. Individuals are so courteous and by no means for a second did anybody make me really feel that I’m from a special nation visiting India. By no means did they query me about my faith or caste. That is what I cherished and I’m glad that I’m with the ability to present it to folks by my channel.”

Nonetheless, this wasn’t his first journey to India. Salahuddin visited West Bengal’s Murshidabad in September 2019. He took a while off work to come back and go and go to the small metropolis in West Bengal. Now, why Murshidabad of all locations? This was the query his colleagues and buddies requested when he instructed them about his journey to India. Nicely, the explanation was to trace down the descendants of Mir Jafar.

If you realize concerning the Battle of Plassey in 1757, you’ll know that the defeat on this battle value India its freedom for 200 years. The loss was majorly as a result of Siraj ud-Daula, the final unbiased Nawab of Bengal, was betrayed by Mir Jafar, the commander of Nawab’s military.

Salahuddin needed to trace his descendants throughout the journey. Was he capable of monitor somebody from the household? Sure, he was however he denied figuring out himself as Mir Jafar’s descendant (most likely owing to the historical past that’s related to him). Nonetheless, his neighbours confirmed the identical. “Once I broke this story on my YouTube channel, I garnered near 70,000 subscribers in a single day.”

Watch the video right here:

Salahuddin thinks there’s a particular motive why there are lots of people who watch his blogs in India.

“I’ve an excellent viewership in India and that’s as a result of lots of people, particularly the Bengali-speaking Indians, have an attraction in direction of Bangladesh. Lots of people wish to know extra concerning the nation’s historical past, heritage and tradition. The content material on YouTube was extra like journey blogs. The bloggers didn’t delve deep into the precise historical past of a specific place. After I began presenting the identical location with its elaborate historical past, folks from India had been interested in my content material. A number of Indians have kin staying in several components of Bangladesh. Some folks even have their ancestral homes on this half. A number of feelings are in play,” he stated.

For Salahuddin, travelling to Arunachal Pradesh was like a ‘dream’ and now that he’s again, he has been regularly sharing movies from his journey on his channel. Nonetheless, will he ever go to India once more? Sure, he intends to come back again to India quickly. This time he needs to go to locations like Chennai and Vellore the place folks from throughout the nation throng to avail the excellent medical amenities.

“Lots of people from Bangladesh journey to India for medical therapy. I personally have availed the medical amenities in India. I had already accomplished a video on how one can avail the medical therapy in Chennai’s Apollo Hospital. Following this lots of people have urged me to make extra movies on the medical amenities accessible in India. So, I’d go to Chennai or Vellore.”

“One other factor that I actually wish to work on is slightly history-centric. I wish to do one thing on the Bangladesh Liberation Warfare. Although I can not disclose every part now, however I can guarantee you that what I’m engaged on could be very unique and nobody has ever ventured on these strains earlier than,” the YouTuber smiled as he spilled the beans about his upcoming work.