Imperative resurgence

As a Bengali, one feels proud when the Prime Minister of the country, in his speeches, often quotes the many names of Bengali luminaries. It is not easy to find such a wealth of contributions made throughout history, from just one region across disciplines as diverse as literature, science, philosophy, music and religion. However, regrettably, Bengal, once known for its prosperity across the globe, is now an impoverished land, frequently subject to ridicule by the rest of the country.

The decline started towards the end of the colonial rule but has continued perhaps at a greater speed after independence, betraying the aspirations of the people. Who is to be blamed for this downward spiral? Is this just due to years of political incompetence, widespread corruption, political violence, social disengagement, or economic deprivation from the Centre? History tells us that changes in Bengal, for better or for worse, have major implications on the fate of the country as a whole, and she must not be ignored.

At the beginning of 16th century, seafaring Europeans started their trading expedition in India. The Portuguese were the first to reach the shore of Kerala. The Dutch, the French and the British followed mainly as traders with small armies just for their own protection. The initial trade quickly spread from southern India, and flourished along the Bengal delta, which became a melting pot of fortune seekers not only from Europe but also from different parts of India. Many accounts from contemporary historians indicated that Bengal was perhaps one of the richest places on the planet at that time.

However, socially, 16th century Bengal told a different story. Hindu society, under Sultanate rule, was becoming more demoralized, divided, rife with superstition and under distinct threat of massive religious conversion. It was in this context that Sri Chaitanya Dev established what was perhaps the first social movement of modern India and the first Bengal Renaissance, inspiring an entire generation to organize a movement for social equality embracing people from all castes and religion. For reasons not fully understood, the movement petered out in Bengal, though the thought leadership of the time continues to exude its relevance all over the globe in our continued endeavour to equal, tolerant societies.

Unfortunately, societal discordance, disenchantment of the populace with its rulers, combined with the promise of riches and the many contenders that it drew, the scene was set for the landmark battle of Palashi (Plassey) where an uneven war between a small army for the East India Company and a structured, adequately armed and numerically far superior army, concluded in the unexpected defeat of the latter.

It is interesting to note that the ruler at the time, Nawab Siraj-ud-Ullah was not a Bengali and none of his main commanders were native to Bengal. The East India Company took over administrative control in 1757, and the fate, not just of Bengal, but of the country was determined for the next two hundred years.

Calcutta was established as the capital of British India. The education system which persists even now, established by the British, was embraced by Bengali Hindus who soon began to excel in Western education. With education came empowerment and slowly they moved upwards to become important members of society, now capable of moving opinions. All over British India, Bengali Hindus dominated in the fields of medicine, law, science, industry, music, religion, thus ushering in the second Renaissance in Bengal. Calcutta became the second most important city after London.

The dominance of Bengal over the rest of the country became palpable. This also nurtured a growing intolerance to foreign occupation, expressing itself in the form of agitation, and non co-operation.

Intense nationalistic feelings led primarily to non-violent movements but there were many violent incidents which were quelled with inappropriate brutality. Bengal advocated for armed struggle for Independence. The time had come for the colonial masters to teach Bengal and Bengalis a lesson.

The capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi; the Bengal unit of the army was dismantled; and multiple famines were engineered, including the infamous Bengal famine of 1943 killing millions of people. The land of plenty witnessed the deaths of starving millions on the streets, corpses being dragged and eaten by scavengers.

India achieved her freedom a few years later, but at a huge cost after being transacted mercilessly with loss of millions of lives, humiliation, violation of women and dislodgement of population unprecedented in the history of human civilization. The trauma that India endured is under-represented, inadequately documented and not properly evaluated in world history. Since Punjab and Bengal were identified as two Muslim majority provinces, a decision was taken to divide the two to make a separate homeland for Muslims. The partition of India, which cut across communities in both these regions, brought with it a unique suffering which perhaps was not felt so acutely in many parts of the country unaffected by the dissection.

Neither the British rulers nor the Indian politicians paid real attention to the fate of Muslims who stayed back in India or the Hindus who opted to stay back in Pakistan. At the time of partition, there were many more killings in Punjab, compared to Bengal. Most of the minority community including Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India where they settled permanently. In contrast, Hindus from the partitioned Eastern part of Bengal (then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh), moved in much lesser number immediately after independence but continued a slow migration to India over the coming decades. While refugees from Punjab got better and organized assistance for relocation from the centre, those from Bengal did not get the assistance they deserved either from the centre or from the state of West Bengal. The unplanned and unassisted migration of refugees from East Pakistan over a long period of time has increased the population density in West Bengal, without a corresponding adjustment in necessary infrastructure to support them in meeting their basic needs.

In subsequent decades, the eastern half of Bengal, with help from India, became an independent country and is steadily progressing in the right direction. The population of West Bengal, since 1947, has risen from 21 million to 104 million, making it the third most populous state in the country. This rise in number has made the state politically important and the political parties have used the changing demography to their electoral advantage without improving quality of life of its inhabitants.

Whatever the reasons may be, the state which had been at the forefront of thought leadership and the struggle for Independence got a raw deal after India got her freedom. India as a country has gone up the ladder as one of the leading economies in the world and we feel proud about it. In contrast, Bengal may be seen as an underperforming state by many and there are reasons for that perception. According to official statistics, per capita income in Bengal dropped from number 1 position to 8th position by 1966. Despite an equal contribution made to the treasury by Bengal and Bombay, tax receipt by Bengal was reduced from 20 per cent to 12 per cent. Industrial output from 27 per cent in 1947 dropped to 17 per cent in 1960. These trends continued over the years with closure of industries, labour strikes, lack of enterprise and offers of subsidy to compensate unemployment by successive governments. Currently Bengal stands in 6th position for GDP and 11th in industrial sector.

The centre cannot solely be blamed for a step motherly attitude towards the state because during the left front rule, industry doors closed one after another as a result of an unruly labour market. From being the most developed industrial state in the country, the state has lost its dominant position. Political masters in charge of governing the state have made wrong decisions to gain and retain popular support without thinking about the long term future. Discordance between the centre and the state was allowed to grow and the entire eastern half of the country did not get the support it deserved from the centre.

Corruption and inaction are also to blame, but neither are exclusive to Bengal. Let there be no confusion that corruption in the country is rampant and inequality in the distribution of our nation’s wealth is simply obscene. India is behind Bangladesh and other Asian countries in most development indicators despite being the 5th largest economy. High levels of tolerance, very little demand, diligence, hard work and some ingrained spirituality among the people of India have helped the country growing to her present level even after two centuries of colonial rule rendering the country one of the poorest in the world. However, the growing divide between the very rich and the poor is a shameful story.

Democracy in India is run and influenced by highly corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, entertainment celebrities and media houses. Of course, there are honest people within the system but they are few and they prefer to keep quiet. Across the country, people in positions of influence, intellectuals, artists, gurus, sell themselves for petty privileges. Let us not forget that naked abuse of strength by those in power and its obscenity in the name of democracy is seen but not accepted by the people.

It is also dangerously reminiscent of the patterning of society in centuries past when invading forces found a land of disenchanted people who felt cheated and humiliated ruled over by unpopular, unsupported monarchs.

The Bengali intelligentsia has always been at the forefront to express itself against social injustice and lend its voice through multiple activities. That voice in Bengal is surprisingly quiet but the community as a whole is extremely unhappy. It is not always the physical and economic strengths that shape the future of a country. It is equally, if not more important to nourish the thinkers who can then guide power with the right advice. Bengal, despite its many disadvantages, acted as a compass of conscience during the early 19th century. Now, however, the state has lost its relevance in the national context and it seems to have descended into an irreversible state of depression.

There is no dearth of talents in Bengal but it has got to be brought to surface by a combined effort from all so that it once more gets the right environment to flourish and give some moral direction to the country. A negative Bengal, if allowed to continue its journey in the present form, may lead once again to hugely fragmented and a restless India but a resurgent Bengal may signal the route to a stable and fair India.

The writer is the Managing Director, Peerless Hospital, Kolkata. Views expressed are personal