Why Bengal’s oft-cited cultural supremacy might be on a decline

But its prominence was not just a result of adroit adjustment to these historical and material advantages; it was based more on the cultivation of the mind, in absorbing the best that the West (and later, the East) had to offer and in evolving a culture where caste and orthodoxy ceased to dominate.

Soon after 1772, when Kolkata (Calcutta, then) became the capital of British colonies in India, the first modern institutions of administration, judiciary, learning, research and western enterprise were all developed in Bengal, before they spread to other parts of India. In 1784, the Asiatic Society was set up in Kolkata as a bridge between Oriental and Western knowledge — leading to research and documentation of an enormous and unprecedented volume of resources and academic information thereof. This became the springboard for further intellectual and material development.

In 1817, when most of India kept a safe distance from impure ‘mlecchas’ (literally the impure, as the Europeans were then regarded), Kolkata residents not only mixed with them but pooled money together to set up their own first modern college. Hindoo College (later renamed the Presidency College in 1855) represented the first attempt by Kolkata's elite to formally introduce Western higher education to India, long before Lord Macaulay's intervention (his 1835 policy is credited for shaping India’s education system). It emerged as an institution for universal education, distinguished from the local and traditional. Bethune School was also established thereafter to impart modern education to women. In 1879, it was developed into a college — the Bethune College, India’s first college for women.

From the early decades of the 19th century, printing presses and libraries came up in the city to publish and disseminate knowledge and recreation to both the elite and the masses. These books were both in English and vernacular languages; many were textbooks that were made available on easy terms. They familiarised students with the latest advances in Western educational systems, research and knowledge. Interestingly, several books debated, in Bengali and English, and contested (which was unusually brave) the teachings of ancient religious texts — thereby opening new windows for fresh thought and also liberating minds.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy and (later) his Brahmo Samaj fought Bengal's rich and powerful against orthodoxy to introduce socio-religious reforms, and stop social murder with religion as an alibi, as in the practice of sati by widows. They were followed by the vigorous campaigns of Pundit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar for widow remarriage and women's education. Bitter public debates followed, with many opposing and others defending ancient customs.

Also read: What attempt to cover Mohenjo-daro Dancing Girl’s bare torso exposes about our own discomforts

Surprisingly, reforms in Bengal were not a bottom-up movement, as in Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu later on, but were led by enlightened Brahmins and the upper castes against religious obscurantism. This created an influential section in society that worshipped reason and science and championed greater equality and open education, especially where women were concerned. Many of these were largely unimaginable elsewhere in most parts of the vast subcontinent.

The movement created the first noteworthy English-educated Indian middle class, purged of reigning conservative ideas, that ushered in a 'Renaissance' in matters social and educational, which influenced all sections of society. Rising above caste, superstition and any retrograde doctrinal conformity became the hallmark of Bengali culture.

Decades later, Swami Vivekananda would articulate this reformist Hinduism to the critical West; true to Bengal's tradition, he emphasised an open, accommodative Hinduism, devoid of hate in any manner whatsoever.

The 19th century also witnessed an efflorescence in literature, language, art, crafts and performing arts. The rapid growth of education through modern schools, the opening of colleges and the setting up of the Calcutta University (1857) and Calcutta Medical College (1835), recharged new generations with advanced information and led to the discovery of further knowledge, of (say) human anatomy, unravelled by 'religiously prohibited' and totally 'impure' dissection of human corpses.

Some six decades after the indigenous Bengali presses of Battala in Kolkata had spread the printed word to the masses, Bengal also introduced new literary forms in the Indian language. Michael Madhusudan Dutt brought in sonnets and blank verse in poems and restructured plays. while Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay presented India's first modern novels. Tagore revolutionised Bengali literature and others lent adornments.

The first newspaper in India, Hickey’s Bengal Gazette (1780) was published from Kolkata. Newspapers in Indian languages, Bengali, Persian, Urdu and Hindi, followed in the nineteenth century, ushering in public debate and the rapid spread of information and knowledge. Every issue was discussed threadbare and critically, often rather aggressively. Of course, there were government bans and clampdowns, but the heady feeling of speaking out could hardly be bottled by state power.

Which reminds us of the active participation (and leadership) of the Bengal Province in the freedom struggle. A large segment of two whole generations gave up their careers to see the country free. As many as 398 of the 585 political prisoners incarcerated in the Andaman’s dreaded Cellular Jail between 1909 and 1938 were from Bengal (that is 68 per cent), as was revealed by a Union response in Parliament last year. Yet, the airport on the island is named after someone outside the state, someone who pleaded with the British for mercy — Veer Savarkar International Airport.

Not a single person from the state could ever become Prime Minister and only one dribbled his own way to the President's office (Pranab Mukherjee) — outwitting friends and foes alike. After Netaji's revolt against the Congress establishment, no Bengali (not even Dr BC Roy, who was the high command's choice) could ever count for something in national politics — at least not enough to ensure some parity when government's goodies were concentrated elsewhere.

Before snapping out of this nostalgic trip, we must recall that Bengal produced not only the first non-white Nobel Laureate in the world, Rabindranath Tagore, but a total of four (including Mother Teresa) — and two of them (Amartya Sen and Abhijit Banerjee, who are of Bengali origin though settled abroad) were awarded not too long ago (1998 and 2019, respectively). Bengal produced pioneering scientists like JC Bose, PC Ray, Meghnad Saha, SN Bose and still tops in scientific learning and research in India and abroad. Media and economics are two continuing priorities or obsessions. Art, music and culture continue to remain high priority vocations, while making money somehow does not set the Hooghly on fire.

But there is no doubt that West Bengal's economy has taken a bad hit after the province was partitioned and refugees streamed in. The numbers were almost as much as in divided Punjab, but Bengal received considerably less than half the assistance given to refugees in the national capital region. It was just too far away from the new rulers to matter. From the 1950s, Nehru's disastrous freight equalisation policy took away whatever little advantages that the three eastern states had, while no such 'equalisation' advantage came to them in the economic prosperity of the west and north.

Also read: Why SC case of office attendant who hid graduation degree is telling of India's employment crisis

We need not dwell on well-known Left and extreme Left politics that shattered whatever edge Bengal had salvaged after Partition. Obviously, other states with more enterprise and resources surged ahead and most were not unduly burdened by archaic ideas of equality or parity or workers' rights. But this is not our focus, as we are aware of the indices of economic growth and failure that have been lashed on Bengal's back for decades without end. Every regime, it is said, got it all wrong and many hope that the rapprochement with the Centre (that has often inflicted terrible retribution on the state for differing) that has finally come after half a century, through a new government (the Bharatiya Janata Party government, which came to power in the state last month), does better — as promised.

But what is more noticeable is Bengal's slide downward in areas where the intellect rules.

True, Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen dominated the intelligent persons' cinema in India and abroad, but then Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor reached a much larger audience, as did Shyam Benegal, Yash Chopra and Mani Ratnam in later years. Across decades, Rajamouli in Telugu, Shantaram in Marathi and Fazil in Malayalam did exceedingly well. True, Bimal Ray and Hrishikesh Mukherjee made super hits in Mumbai by switching from Bengali to Hindi. But what after that? Rituparna Ghosh and Goutam Ghose excelled, but so did Adoor Gopalakrishnan in Kerala and Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rajkumar Hirani and Karan Johar in Hindi — and they are also better known.

Many states that had enjoyed translations from Tagore, Sarat Chandra Chatterjee and Bankim Chandra for several decades now boast of great authors of their own, which is but natural and commendable. Cultures are best when they complement and influence, not when they dominate. Sahitya Akademi and Jnanpith awards are also spread evenly across languages but this cannot be interpreted as the fall of Bengali literature. The same goes for film awards as well and more so in the performing arts. Of course, studies reveal that Bengali theatre still commands a very prominent presence, something that it shares with three other languages — Marathi, Urdu/Hindustani and Gujarati. More are welcome.

This is exactly what multi-lingual, multicultural countries should have — a bit of healthy competition and excellence among all. It cannot be bandied as the fall of one linguistic culture.

Yet, there are issues that call for urgent attention where Bengal is concerned. It still produces outstanding students, as this is a priority area for families, but the standards of mass-education have surely fallen and literacy could learn a lot from Kerala. The emphasis on cultural values is surely averaging down and will soon be indistinguishable from others. Music does not waft out of houses at dawn or dusk and it is sad to witness this de-prioritisation in today's Bengal.

The Kolkata Book Fair, however, continues to attract the world's largest (non-trade) attendance, which was reportedly 32 lakhs this year. Much like Durga Puja (which also sees musical, dance and theatre performances at pandals and special magazine publications), it is a cultural celebration where different participants and viewers attend in huge numbers, making both quite unique phenomena.

The Kolkata International Film Festival is a rage, with more than 200 films from nearly 40 countries shown across multiple venues in Kolkata last year. Football is another craze, as is commercially-driven cricket and the sheer size of crowds reveal that people in these parts value them more than mundane things like work or business. And the last word reminds us that the educated Bengali is not snooty any more about starting his own business, as the hundreds of boutique restaurants and thousands of sales outlets for arty products reveal. Scams are far less than in some places that have specialised in massive bank frauds, as the urge to make money at any cost has not yet infected most people in this state.

Media in Bengal was still (till last month) reasonably outspoken and questioning — much more than the national media. What it'll do now (under the new BJP government in the state) is difficult to say.

Also read: Why in Assam, ‘beef in tiffin box’ row is part of a bigger discourse on food choices, economics

But the watering down of certain intrinsic values and traditions indicate the victory of globalised societal norms and passionate propaganda.

Courtesy is not what it used to be and gentle, cultured behaviour is receding as the hoi polloi is almost as rude as notorious states of India. Most tragic, however, is the growing dilution of intrinsic cultural values of tolerance and respect for other religions and a disdain for caste-based passions. While most still do not bother about caste, nor weaponise it as in many parts of north India, there is an unmistakable consciousness of belonging to the three upper castes among those that constitute the so-called genteel bhadralok class.

Caste superiority among Brahmins in Bengal was unimaginable. But it’s visible now. There are communal comments being made on social media. We have to decide whether Bengal will be a minor partner in the 'Hindi Hindu Hindustan' narrative spreading across the country or retain its vibrant, rational, secular and relatively casteless tradition. Notice how every BJP leader speaks to the Press in Hindi so their masters listen. Bengal voted for the BJP in sheer disgust of the previous Mamata Banerjee government.

History indicates that the progressive Bengali will not succumb to politically motivated orthodoxy and hate. The state's centuries-old pluralist culture will ultimately prevail.