Hindu Mela
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The Hindu Mela was initiated in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in British India in April 1867 with the active support of the Tagore family. It was largely the product of the combined efforts of Rajnarayan Basu, Dwijendranath Tagore, and Nabagopal Mitra. By encouraging local industry it may in a sense be looked upon as a precursor of the Swadeshi movement of the early 1900s.[1] The mela was clearly indicative of the gradual change taking place in Kolkata. The advent of Young Bengal in the 1830s had brought two very different types of societies to the fore. The first group of such societies indicated the formal shift from the religious to socio-educational interests. Secondly many such societies turned to economic and political issues.[2]
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[edit] Inauguration
The mela which was inaugurated on the Chaitra-Sankranti day (mid April) in its earlier years offered a varied fare. Fervent nationalist poems and songs were composed for the occasion, wrestling matches were organised between Bengali and Punjabi students. There were also exhibitions of every sort testifying to the abilities of Hindus.[1] Nabagopal Mitra, the leading spirit behind the mela, wanted to turn the minds of the people from always looking upon the government for whatever they needed to their own efforts or the national efforts. There was a large body of patrons – Raja Kamalkrishna, Ramanath Tagore, Kashiswar Mitra, Durgacharan Laha, Peary Charan Sarkar, Girish Chandra Ghosh, Krishnadas Pal, Rajnararayan Basu, Dwijendranath Tagore, Pandit Joynarayan Tarkapanchanan, Pandit Bharat Chandra Shiromani, Pandit Taranath Tarkabacahspati and others. People from various walks of life assembled for the mela.[3]
According to Ganendranath Tagore, who was first secretary of Hindu Mela, “One of the major drawbacks of India is that we are always looking towards the nobility for whatever assistance we require. It is a matter of great shame. Are we not human beings? One of the aims of the mela is to infuse the spirit of self-dependence in the country.”[3] Dwijendranath Tagore argued that the adoption of Anglicizsed habits only intensified India’s bondage to British colonialism. India must change but without violating her cultural integrity. He emphasised that the task of the modernizer was to study his own culture deeply in the light of western experience, to learn how to change it from within.[1]
[edit] Later years
When the first session was held in April 1867, Satyendranath Tagore was away in western India. However, he was present in Kolkata for the second session in 1868. He composed the patriotic song mile sabe Bharat santan, ektan gaho gaan (Unite India’s children, sing in unison) for the occasion. The song was hailed as the first national anthem of India.[4]
In 1870, the date of the mela was shifted from April to February and it was designated a “National Gathering”. The next year immense emphasis was laid on physical training largely through the efforts of Nabagopal Mitra who started the National Society the same year to sustain nationist entusiasm in the intervening months. In another year, the emphasis was on modern manufacturing and technology particularly production of paper products. Nabagopal Mitra’s influence was fairly evident till 1875 when he quit the scene. Hindu Mela faded out in 1880s.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Kopf, David (1979), The Brahmo Samaj and the Shaping of the Modern Indian Mind, Princeton Univ Pr, ISBN 0691031258, page 184.
- ^ Majumdar, Swapan, Literature and Literary Life in Old Calcuttain Chaudhuri, Sukanta (editor),Calcutta The Living City Vol I, page 111, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, first published 1990, paperback edition 2005, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195636961
- ^ a b Sastri, Sivanath (1903/2001), Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj (in Bengali), New Age Publishers Pvt. Ltd., page 151.
- ^ Bandopadhyay, Hiranmay, Thakurbarir Katha, pp. 98–104, Sishu Sahitya Sansad (Bengali) .
