“Sweet” win: West Bengal officially wins the tug of war with Odisha over Rasgulla

Kolkata, November 14: Did you ever think a state can go for legal action for a sweet? But it’s possible when it comes to Rasgulla and Bengal. Love of Bengalis for Rasgulla is very well-known even across the globe. But if some other state suddenly claims the origin of Rasgulla does not belong to Bengal, the reaction is very predictable and such is the reason for Odisha-Bengal conflict. Tuesday may be the day for sweet teeth for many Bengalis as the state won the Geographical Identification (GI) battle over Rosogolla.

A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin. India enacted GI in 2003.

While for years it was known Rasgulla is the original sweet of Bengal, back in 2015 a conflict broke out between Bengal and Odisha. The latter demanded basically it is their sweet. Taking example from a popular myth over jagannath Dev, Odisha claimed to have ‘invented’ the sweet. Bengal also did not back up, the state moved forward in the fight with various logical proves. As Rasgulla is made from chenna, the state told Chana or Chena is an orginal Bengali name for the product. Finally Bengal won the cultural war as Odisha’s justifications were not practical.