Bande Mataram

Western Secularism and Colonial Legacy in India

Himanshu Roy EPW Special Articles January 14, 2006

In India, philosophically, there emerged two schools under the impact of colonial encounter:

• one section of the elite became an intrinsic part of western liberalism which was best reflected in the speech of Keshab Chandra Sen when he declared in 1870 in London that your philosophy is ours, ‘we are one in thought’, ‘we are also intellectually united’, [Desikachar 1983:303];
• the other section endeavoured for, change in tune with the civilisational ethos of India termed as “democratic nationalism” in contradiction to her becoming the “intellectual province of Europe” (ibid: 326), as Aurobindo had commented in Bande Mataram in 1908. It espoused regeneration from within the womb of Indian history in contradiction to the change brought about by the impact of ideological importation under the tuteledge of imperialism.

Both sections, however, were the part of new elite and their philosophy formed the two different streams of liberalism that facilitated the development of nationalism...The other stream of liberalism was represented by Vivekananda, Tilak and Aurobindo known as “nationalists”, who succeeded the initial reformers and who were no longer “dazed” and “surprised”, by the difference of governance of the British in comparison to pre-colonial rulers. They did not believe in appealing to the British; neither did they believe in convincing the English. This other school, therefore, argued that the future of India rested entirely in the hands of the Indians. If they realised their strength they would be free of foreign. For this, they had to seek “refuge in its own superior civilisation” discarding foreign goods, foreign habits, foreign dress and manners or foreign education. The people had to assert their national individuality...

They argued that there existed cultural similarities across India that created unity among people despite diversity, and there was timelessness to these cultural elements that already laid the foundation of nationalism. What was required was just to arouse the consciousness (soul) of the people and once it was awakened India shall regain its lost glory. This school was ideally represented by Vivekananda, Tilak, Aurobindo and Gandhi. Their praxis of being Sanatani was the negation of the culture of colonisation imposed by the British who attempted to deny the Indians their history and identity.