What is so special about Bengal? Is it the lush green countryside or the rich cultural heritage, the echoes of Rabindra sangeet, soft lilting and enchanting or is the earthy nature of its people. I can’t possibly figure out, but all the same there is something magical about this land. Maybe it is the spirituality of Ramkrishna and Vivekanand or our childhood fascination with the freedom fighters associated with Bengal led by the enigmatic Netaji Subhash and the likes of Khudiram Bose. It may even be Hooghly and the fish which is the staple not just diet but even the topic for conversation. Can we imagine the history of Indian Cinema without Satyajit Ray, or the scientific temper without Jagdish Bose or Satyendra Bose, or Classical dance and music of Uday Shankar-Ravi Shankar duo, literature of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore?
The people here are very passionate about the causes they espouse whether it is Missionaries of Charity, Communism or even Soccer clubs, Mohan Bagan or East Bengal. Bengalis are fanatics for soccer, the rivalry of Mohan Bagan and East Bengal and their fans is legendary and even a Saurav Ganguly at his peak could not make a dent on this soccer craze. Pujo is sacrosanct, a time reserved not for any ordinary festivities, it goes on for a week, preparations commence may be even a month or so earlier. The whole of Kolkata comes to a virtual standstill, as though in a a trance, meditative, immersed in the Bhakti of Ma Kali.
Bengal was the pioneer when India awoke from its millennia of slumber. The reforms under Raja Ram Mohan Roy ushered in a new era when the age old social evils were addressed for the first time. It received support from the British, which was a surprise as they were not here on a reform agenda nor for any philanthropic mission.They could have simply trained their babus who were their acolytes, without interfering with the contentious issues such as Sati or widow remarriage. May be they felt highlighting these evils would lead to en masse conversion to Christianity thus fulfilling their proselytising mission as well the proverbial white man’s burden. Whatever may have been the reason Bengal led the way for rest of India to follow .
So, was it their superior intellect which ultimately led them into the morass of today or over the years the bhadralok simply faded away leaving the field open to the scoundrels. Was the onset of communism in a way responsible or was it the natural course of events, what goes up must come down, almost sinusoidal life cycle. I have often wondered, what if the communists had not wrested power from the Congress in the 70s. Would Bengal have been where Maharashtra or Gujarat is today ..may be ..may not be! The entrepreneurship of Gujaratis, Marwaris is legendary and in contrast Bengalis were considered more academic, delving into literature, spirituality etc. So may be we would have had the scientists and poets who could have led from the front and guided this nation through the tumultuous years of confusion of the 70s.
It is not a coincidence that two of the most literate and politically aware states ushered in ‘democratic communism’ a paradox in itself. So Communism became the opium for these masses, with due apologies to Karl Marx.What if Netaji had survived the air crash and returned to India to provide the nation an alternative to Nehru right in the 50s. In the death of Netaji and prior to that, Gandhiji’s disapproval of his philosophy left Bengal rudderless, without any leader of national stature.
But we are digressing, Bengali middle class by and large continues to pursue art and literature; so is their silent acquiescence responsible for the state of affairs today, a la the Moslem middle class all over the world. No by no means am I comparing Islamic fundamentalism to communism. Although communists have not been in power for more than a decade now here, but their goons are very much there, majority having simply switched sides.
May be the time has come for its resurrection… the dark period is over. A sort of Rip Van Winkle, who has just woken up from his stupor, after nearly half a century. Some flicker of hope, light at the end of the tunnel…May the glory of Bengal be rekindled! Amar Sonar Bangla!
