A History of Political Thought of Modern Bengal

An off-colour question, very often, ripples through the sensitive reader and the humble writer feels lost in a barrage of lofty questions: why this book? Why has he taken in the conservative radicals of Bengal? The response is not long in coming. Despite diffusion of a lot of literature on social and political thinking of India most masterminds of Bengal have been looked down upon by academics on both sides of the globe, more often with a sense of rejection than reverence. All this whispers an atmosphere of cynicism. Bemused by the futility of it all, the writer feels a sense of grief. And with calmness of countenance he intimates his injured sentiment through an aphorism from OVID: “…quia non intelligor illis”. Though the story of conservative radicalism is of Bengal yet it is tinged with an unknown spirit of permanence. Problems posed by this philosophy are perennial in breadth of vision and fullness of life. They are as pressing today as were yesterday-the issues overflow the space time continuum. It is, in a very fine sense, an elegant instance of genius working itself up from promise to performance and from part to the complete whole. The bell tolls on an end in the now on and now off situation-the hour is struck. And in the split moment the custodian of my conscience-deep within-gives me the necessary warning not to indulge in self-deception. The author, humbly remembers with reverence the spirit of the old adage: the aphorism readily yields into his sensitive ears and, in response t its gentle persuasion, fights shy of straining the patience of the sensitive reader to the break-even point with a tasteless tale of his life and works. Long past his prime, the writer neither an unsparing expert nor even a scholar gypsey, is less than a novis and makes no secret of his intention to concede his blushing initiation into the winding road to knowledge and enlightenment with a measure of cheerfulness. Wafting down in the aroma of beseeching gesture and tinged with the mute modesty of Moleire, the poor author has, stripped of all hesitation and hubris, allowed his papers and publications to speak for themselves.