Himadri Sarkar’s, ‘Bengal Then and Now’ traces the decline and fall of Babu Moshai heritage through time

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Jan 24: Himadri Sarkar is better known as a successful cricketer and industrialist but as an author he provides a critical analysis of socio-economic and political culture of Bengal and Bengalis still referred to as Babu Moshais that commanded the attention of cynosures but now are caught in the whirlpool of a mad race to nowhere.

Quoting the observation of the freedom movement activist and one of the greatest leaders, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow,” was one of the richest attributes paid to Bengal and Bengalis. The Gokhale statement held good for whatever happened in Bengal during the late ‘90s and mid- 20^th century that percolated and was well received by the rest of India. There is no denying the fact that Bengal used to be the seat of knowledge, a hub of art and culture, citadel of revolutionaries and freedom fighters and hot bed for industrial pursuits.

The renaissance period started from the late 19^th century with Raja Ram Mohan Roy and culminated (practically) with the end of the Dr BC Roy (political and social) regime and the Satyajit Ray era (culturally).

Among the many firsts Bengal was known for were the first Indian University, Calcutta University (1857), IIT and IIM at Kharagpur and Joka (1951 and 1961 respectively), first college – the Presidency College (1817), Calcutta Medical College (1835),  first male graduate, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1858), first woman graduate, Kadambini Ganguly (1883), first Nobel Laurite, Rabindra Nath Tagore, first Oscar Lifetime Achievement winner, Satyajit Ray, first Bharat Ratna, Dr BC Roy and many others that cannot be contained in just one large volume of records of firsts.

UNESCO recognized Bengali as the fifth most spoken language in the world and considered as the sweetest language.

UNESCO has also declared February 21 as ‘World Mother Tongue Day’ because on that date, the Pakistani militia shot down five Dhaka University students who were demonstrating on the streets demanding acceptance of their mother Tongue, Bangla as the medium of learning.

According to author, Himadri Sarkar, that turned out to be the beginning of the end of Bengal and Bengalis’ pride. The rot started in the ‘70s that saw the evolution of extremism like the Naxalite movement followed by subsequent rules of Communist governments. In these 50 years, the slide of all things Bengali commenced and it would not be wrong to contend that the pride of Bengalis touched rock-bottom.

Unfortunately, the socio-cultural and political heritage floundered. Apart from being internationally known for Durga Puja, Rabindra Sangeet and Rashogolla, the Bengalis are also characterized as quarrelsome, argumentative, judgmental, and in general, people who object to introduction of things new and good.

At the end of the day, author Himadri Sarkar has done a good job by presenting Bengal and Bengalis in the light of then and now leaving a wide space for readers to discuss the pros and cons of a tradition that radiated only to be clouded later by thinkers who have pretended to be political, social and cultural philosophers sitting on the rubble of a proud heritage.