Rabindranath and the Historiography of Contemporary Bengal (7th Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Memorial Lecture 2025)

Name of the Activity: Rabindranath and the Historiography of Contemporary Bengal (7th Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Memorial Lecture 2025)
Type of Activity: Memorial Lecture / Academic Lecture
Date/Duration of Activity (from–to): 10 December 2025
Time: 4:00 PM onwards
Details of Resource Person: Professor Bhaskar Chakraborty – Eminent historian and scholar
No. of Participants: 63

Objective of the Event:
To commemorate Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and to critically engage with Rabindranath Tagore’s ideas in relation to the historiography of contemporary Bengal.

Brief Description of the Event:
The Departments of Bengali and History, jointly with Paschim Banga Itihas Samsad, organised the 7th Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Memorial Lecture 2025 at the concept hall of  The Bhawanipur Education Society College. Professor Bhaskar Chakraborty, former professor, Dept of History, Calcutta University, delivered the memorial lecture on “রবীন্দ্রনাথ ও সমকালীন বাংলার ইতিহাসচর্চা” (Rabindranath and the Historiography of Contemporary Bengal). In his lecture, he examined how Rabindranath Tagore’s writings and his ideas on nationalism, education, humanism, and rural reconstruction were closely connected to the historical developments of Bengal during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He discussed Tagore’s responses to colonial modernity, the Swadeshi movement, and broader cultural transitions, showing how Tagore both shaped and interpreted Bengal’s socio-historical consciousness.
The session was chaired by Professor Arun Bandopadhyay, while Professor Piu Chatterjee addressed the gathering on behalf of the college. The presence of Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya’s family members added a meaningful commemorative dimension to the programme.

Outcome of the Event:
The lecture proved to be academically enriching and intellectually stimulating. Participants gained deeper insight into the interdisciplinary relationship between literature and history, reinforcing critical perspectives on Rabindranath Tagore’s role in the making of modern Bengal.