Field Trip report

A field trip was organized by the Departments of Sociology and Political Science for the students of semester 5 and 3, respectively, on December 03, 2022. A total number of 80 students accompanied by 14 teachers visited 3 museums of Kolkata—Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home, Raja Rammohan Roy’s ancestral home and Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home. As a part of the course work on research Methods, the students learnt about the significance of Museum in Sociological research. They participated in the 3D show on Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home on his speech in the Parliament of Religion in Chicago, 1893. They learnt about Swamiji’s contribution in establishing the Ramakrishna Mission and their social services. They took note of the scholarly contributions and role in the national freedom movement of Vivekananda’s younger brother Bhupendranath Dutta. In Raja Rammohan Ray’s home the students came to learn about the Brahmo Samaj, its establishment and ideas of Monotheism. The students were also explained about Ray’s contribution in the Abolition of Sati Act (1929) and his pioneering role in press and individual freedom in India. In Tagore’s house Jorashanko, the students learnt about the international recognition of Rabindranath Tagore as a champion of humanity and human rights. Beyond his contributions as a literary figure, Tagore’s view in the aftermath of the First World War, in the national struggle for Independence were also discussed. The students were informed about his interrogations with Gandhi and Einstein and their significance about civilizations and progress. This field trip was essentially relevant for the students as it was an extension of their theoretical experiences.