"A Comparative Study Between "The Young Bengal Movement and The Naxalite Movement" on The Background of Post Independence Bengal (original) (raw)
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THE YOUNG BENGAL MOVEMENT AND THE MAKING OF MODERN INDIA IN THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY
Journal of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, 2023
This paper is an attempt to examine the role of Derozians, the radical youths of Hindu college in the making of modern India in the mid-nineteenth century. The post Rammohun era between the 1830s and 1860s had been the most interesting period of Bengal as it witnessed the historical consolidation of two major socio-political as well as intellectual forces, i.e. the print media and the remarkable rise of civil societal associations almost simultaneously. In this historical context perhaps the most stirring role in bringing about fundamental changes in thought process, stereotypical mind set and radical activities was taken by the radical youths of Bengal, better known as the 'Young Bengal'. At the same time they were the main source of controversies in the existing literature as well. The basic aim of this paper is to introspect and explore the role of this young Bengal in the making of modern India in the 19 th Century.
The Young Bengal movement and Bengal renessiance
" a single shelf of good European library is worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia. " This assertion was perhaps the single greatest summation of logic that drove the major educxational reforms that were taking place in india aroind and with the appointmeant of william bentick, a utiloitarian reformist as the governor gen of india in 1828, and thomas b macaulay as president of the general committee of public instruction in 1834. Macaulay's minutes, issued on 2 nd february 1935, provided further soil to the much awaited shift in the official thinking of india from that of the orientalists to the anglicists, a very prominent end of which was located in the foundation of hindu college in 1817. RRMR believed that " sanskrit learning altough it neither lacked depth nor bubtlety, was barren, and any encouragement given to it would only help to load the moinds of ypouth with grammatical niceties and metaphysicsl distinction of little or no practicsl use to the possesors or to the society " i The hindu college thus was founded where, beside languages, history, geography, astronomy, chronology, maths, chemistry and other sciences, as expected and hailed in the anglicist regime. Macaulay's argument of the establishment of the same was rooted in the belief that such an education would create " a class of persons between us and the millions whom we govern, a class of persons indian in blood but english in taste, in opinion, in morals, and intellect " (cit, ghosh). ii The new education system, as a part of the modernization project, thus aimed at knowledge production, a task assigned to the metropolitan england. But the reproduction, replication and dissemination of this knowledge was left for the colonised people. This " class of persons " macaulay had envisioned came into public prominence collectively as the " Young Bengal " under the mentorship of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, soon after his appointment to hindu college as a teacher in may 1826. Owing to his association with drummond and his interest in scottish philosphy, he gained quite a reputation among the scottish schoolmasters. His knowlege in history and literature, and the parity between ideas in matter of religion and politics earnbed him a speical attention from david hare, famous scottish watchmaker and the then principal of hindu colleg and he was appointed a teacher of the philosophy and history in the year 1826 Derozio's spirit of inquiry and belief in the imporatance of debates and discussions, further made strong ny his inclination towards the baconian principle of beginning with certainties and ending in doubts, gave a space for these young minds to deliberate over questions of philosophy, religion and politics. Derozio's pupils wrote articles criticising the hindu orthodoxy, about the emancipation of women, and about certain aspects of british rule. They debated over the existence of god and the need to dissasosiate religiousity from idolatry. Some of his students like krishna mohan banerjee started am english weekly, the enquirer, in 1831 and the following year converted to christianity and a christian missionary in 1837. Arounf the same time, many of his students joined rammohan roy's bramho samaj, while many declared religious skepticism. Derozio had also founded the hindu colleg academic association , a debating society that prominently challenged Hindu orthodoxy. With the scheme of events that took place within the circle of derizio's students, there was a constant establishment and re establishment of the indentity of young bengal as a
Peal of a Spring Thunder: Adivasis Narratives of Naxalbari Movement in North Bengal, 1967-72
SUMMERHILL IIAS REVIEW; INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDY, SHIMLA, 2020
from the jotedars by raiding their houses. People's courts were established and judgments passed. The upheaval in the villages continued till July. The tea garden workers struck works a number of times in support of the peasants. 2 The movement had a life span of roughly five years (1967-1972), which was spatially sporadic and limited to small areas. In this stance, the questions that concern this paper are: what is the importance of engaging with the Adivasis in the Naxalbari movement? To what extent the ethnic or Adivasi consciousness (owing to Santal Hul or Birsa Munda movement) cater to the mass mobilization in Naxalbari? The Naxalbari movement has been one of the most sought after peasant movements, carried forward by the urban elites and their likes, hence generating resistance, dissents, as well as hope for the languishing oppressed Adivasi peasantry. Amidst these varying perspectives, I am most concerned with forms of representation of the most secluded and silenced voices of Naxalbari movement, whose history goes undocumented or unheard, as compared to those whose ideas may be represented such as the rural elites and the activists who are non-Adivasis. In addition, the present study would analyse the political significance of Naxalbari movement, which otherwise is termed as 'revolutionary' in the history of peasant, radical or tribal movements. Therefore, based on my examination of primary sources such as structured and unstructured recording of narratives and engaging into discussions with the then participants of Naxalbari movement, I argue that the mass base in the Naxalbari movement comprised Adivasi communities such as Oraon, Munda and Santal tribes whose role has been seriously undermined and underrated in the popular historiography of the said movement. Naxalbari, ideologically and practically, provided such a base for a revolutionary armed struggle. The mass base of the Naxalbari movement in North Bengal comprised Adivasi settlers from the Central Indian tribal belt namely-Oraon, Munda and Santal tribes.
2021
The objective in this paper is to identify the roots of patriarchy in the Naxalbari movement (1965-1975) through one of the texts in Indian English Literature. The Naxalbari movement is the first peasant revolution within twenty years of Indian Independence that initiated in a small village named Naxalbari situated in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Through Lives of Others (2014) by Neil Mukherjee the paper analyses the patriarchy of the 20th century urban Bengal society and how it seeped into the movement. Therefore, it exposes the androcentric underpinning of a movement dedicated to creating an egalitarian society. While the scholarly studies on the movement have recognized the dominating gender inequality, its cause has not yet been traversed upon. This paper addresses the gap by exploring the source of this patriarchy. Thus, it tries to examine the seeds of the concealed patriarchal framework within the dissenting Naxalbari movement.
Interpreting Revolutionary Excess: The Naxalite Movement in India, 1967-71
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the Naxalite movement in India
Limits to Power Naxalism and Caste Relations in a South Bihar Village This paper explores the general tendencies associated with the rise and decline of Naxalism in rural Bihar. It does not examine Naxalite organisations or activities, but reports on a case study of a single village in a very troubled region of south Bihar where contesting sections of the village community have tried to use Naxalism for their own ends. The emphasis is not on the political issues associated with Naxalism, but on delineating the concrete ways in which it becomes operative in village politics.
The Naxalite Movement in Central Bihar - Bhatia Bela
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