ফিরে দেখা বঙ্কিমচন্দ্রের ‘বঙ্গদর্শন’ পত্রিকা : প্রসঙ্গ স্বদেশপ্রেম/ Revisiting Bangadarshan : Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Vision of Patriotism

Abstract

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the literary emperor of Bengali literature, was the brightest star in the nineteenth-century Renaissance. His primary aim was to awaken love for the motherland through socially beneficial literature. Influenced by eminent thinkers and literary figures from East and West, Bankim Chandra presented Bangadarshan to the people in 1872, aiming to awaken the self-consciousness of the Bengali nation. Bangadarshan helped construct the self-identity of a distinct Bengali nation whilst removing the disgrace attached to the Bengali language. The motives behind Bangadarshan's publication were manifold. Through it, a powerful literary group emerged. One notable achievement was the creation of a refined readership cutting across distinctions of rich and poor, high and low. A rich and developed literary language was shaped on its pages. It inspired the historically indifferent Bengali nation to engage anew in the study of history. The journal served as a field not only for literature but also for the study of Eastern and Western religion, culture, philosophy, science, and history. In Bankim Chandra's editorial vision, there was no real conflict between literature and religious consciousness. In his view, love for country and love for humanity were identical. The principal driving force behind Bangadarshan's activities was patriotism. His concept of patriotism was shaped by works such as Hemchandra Bandyopadhyay's Birbahu Kavya, Rangalal Bandyopadhyay's Padmini Upakhyan, Dinabandhu Mitra's play Nil Darpan, and the patriotic tradition in the Tagore household. He was also influenced by contemporary global events and individual figures. Through his essay collections—Kamalakanta's Daptar, Bangadesher Krishak, Samya, Krishnacharitra, and others—Bankim Chandra discussed the responsibility owed to the motherland. Along with literary aesthetic pleasure, he introduced information, theory, and rationalism into Bangadarshan. The mantra "Vande Mataram", marking the beginning of Indian nationalism, was first articulated in the novel Anandamath on Bangadarshan's pages. As a historical document of the expanding self-awareness of the Bengali nation, this mantra inspired the Bengali people, its ultimate outcome being India's independence. Yet a question remains: whilst Bankim Chandra fulfilled his responsibility in such a manner, to what extent have we, the people of his country, been able to walk properly along that path? The present article discusses and analyses these issues critically.