Studies in Gandhism- A Selection

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The Asiatic Society, as part of its commitment to observe the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi decided to reprint a selection from Studies in Gandhism authored by Professor Nirmal Kumar Bose (22.01.1901 15.10.1972). This title was originally published in 1940 and subsequently reprinted in 1947, 1962 and later on also. Bose served Mahatma Gandhi as his Private Secretary during the latter's visit to Noakhali (In those days in undivided Bengal, now in Bangladesh) during November 1946 to March 1947 and again in Calcutta during May to September 1947. Much later in 1972 Professor Bose became the President of the Asiatic Society. Unfortunately, he expired in 1972 before completion of his tenure. During his lifetime Professor Bose was known to the academics at large as one of the authorities on Gandhism. He was especially considered as the eminent interpreter of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophical tenets. Even before his association with Gandhi and after his dissociation with him Professor Bose was deeply involved in looking at Gandhi as a committed political personality with his broad ideological-philosophical overtone. Bose did this not as a political activist but as a scientist as he preferred himself to be identified with. He continued to keep in his mind this claim very strongly till the last day. Bose was basically an anthropologist by profession.

Studies in Gandhism by Nirmal Kumar Bose (1901-1972) had an interesting S biography: it underwent three editions: in 1940', in 1947 and in 1962. Going by chapter titles, readers can notice some revisions between the 1940 and 1962 editions. In the Preface to the third edition, Bose observed: 'On cach occasion, it has been completely revised, or even altered in parts. So that, although there is a continuity in name, each edition has become a new book." Lest any critique would be formulated, he wrote in the same Preface: 'as ideas change with events, and new judgments may also be formed in consonance with them. The Table on Hint of Intertextuality tries to make a graphic representation -though based on the titles of the essays - of the themes expounded in the three volumes. A comparative reading reveals the persistence of the Gandhian template, naturally - despite new themes being introduced in the second and third editions. Remarkably, the last essay in all the editions is on Gandhi and Lenin, the text kept unchanged throughout. The other constant is the essay, An Interview with Gandhi, placed at the middle or thereabout of each volume. An author usually has considerations for re-sequencing papers in successive editions. Nirmal Kumar Bose has not given any clue about that. But despite the suggestion of being lost in revision, the Gandhian arguments and Bose's observations on them circulate in the three editions. The essays in Studies are in English; may be for the English-knowing Bengali middle class bhadralok. Some of the essays were published in highly respected The Visva- Bharati Quarterly. The Modern Review, and the Forward.

**Contents and Sample Pages**