Benoy Kumar Sarkar and the ideology of democratic socialism in twentieth century Bengal
Author(s): Dr. Arunima Ray
Abstract: In this article I have tried to put emphasis on the arguments put forward by Benoy Sarkar through the reading of various Vedic literatures like the Purusa-shukta, Taitiriya Samhita (VII, I, i), Vishnu Purana that search for equality is inherent to Indian traditions and culture. Sarkar observes that ‘sociologico-anthropologically’ the entire mass of Vedic literature may be treated as a age-long series of attempts to ‘Aryanize the Sudras (or the non-Aryans) and Brahmanise the Vratya (or non-Brahmin Aryan)’. Thus Sarkar comes up with a proposition that illiterates should not be differentiated from the ‘so called educated as an intellectual and moral being’. The non-higher castes i.e. the scheduled or unscheduled, who had been subjected to various repressions have begun to rise. Sarkar advocated universal adult franchise and universal literacy for establishing democracy. However, his preference was socialist democracy compared to bourgeois democracy.
Pages: 77-80 | Views: 197 | Downloads: 138Download Full Article: Click Here
How to cite this article:
Dr. Arunima Ray. Benoy Kumar Sarkar and the ideology of democratic socialism in twentieth century Bengal. Int J Hist 2024;6(2):77-80.