BENGAL AS I FOUND IT – PART 2

Young Bengal

Most of us are familiar with two names in connection with Bengal. West Bengal and East Bengal. It would not be inappropriate to call these as Hindu Bengal and Muslim Bengal respectively, or, to borrow an expression from Dr. Moonje’s Gujranwala address, ”Hindustan” and “Islamistan.” Not only is there the pre-ponderance of Hindu population in the one and of Muslim in the other. The line, rather the gulf of demarcation goes much deeper, much wider. The west is permeated through and through with Hindu culture and for the matter of that, with Hindu influence, so much so that it is hardly possible to tell a Muslim from a Hindu from mere appearance. The same bare head, the same bare feet mostly, the same fashion of dhoti. And perhaps I should add – the same conspicuousness of beard by its absence. Personally, I have never been able to work myself up to pious enthusiasm on the sacred character of beard. But when in West Bengal, I am afraid, I was almost converted to the pro-bear viewpoint. For a West Bengal Muslim, at any rate, it struck me, beard must be made compulsory. There must be at least one thing about him to proclaim him a Muslim.

When, however, you have crossed over to Eastern Bengal, Hindu-Muslim relations are reversed. There you find a changed specimen of Hindu altogether. Surrounded by an overwhelming majority of Muslim population, he has considerably accommodated himself to things Islamic. Respectable flowing beards are in common evidence and it seems the very atmosphere is saturated with Islamism. The Hindu brought up in such an atmosphere cannot but feel influenced accordingly. Unlike his brother elsewhere, he does not shrug shoulders at things Islamic and no Dr. Moonje would be able to persuade him to flourish his lathi in the face of Islam. He visits Muslim shrines. He even takes his offerings there. The sting of prejudice against Islam loses much of its venom in this part. And it is no over-optimism to say that with a sensible presentation Islam has a future amongst the Hindu element of East Bengal. I came across a Bengali book on Islam by a Comilla Hindu gentleman, an M.A.B.L, which it was a pleasure to read. Every sentence seemed to breathe of deep appreciation, if not adoration of Islam. Addressing his own co-religionists, the learned writer takes them to task on the score of untouchability and adds: “ If you had only taken two words of the Holy Quran you would never have had this curse of untouchability. فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ  i.e. “the setting free of the slave are but two words but contain a treasure of wisdom and shine like two beautiful diamonds.”

So much of the two Bengals. But I must not detain the reader long over these. My fancy was almost entirely taken up by a third Bengal which is already in the making – I mean Young Bengal. The youth movement is distinctly in evidence. There is nothing like it, so far as I know, in the rest of India. Imaginative, sentimental, responsive to the call of ideals, an average Bengal young man is full of enthusiasm, full of fervour. Besides rice, it seemed to me, the soil of Bengal was especially suited for the luxuriant growth of patriotic sentiments. It is that soil from which recruits to the ranks of national workers have largely been forthcoming. Bhat is the national dish of the Bengali and if there is one thing which may be called his intellectual and emotional bhat, it is his patriotism. He will talk to you passionately of electioneering campaigns, of ministry formation, of the freedom flight and all the rest of it. The recent demonstration of the Muslim youths of Calcutta against Ghaznawi Ministry was quite like Young Bengal. Young Bengal has an irresistible charm for a Bengal Youngman.  Appeal to him in the name of Young Bengal and you touch the tenderest chord in his heart. Of the most pleasant memories I have brought back with me, are those of my chats with and addresses to young men. I watched this Young Bengal consciousness with special interest and special delight. It is big with promise. There was at the same time a parallel Young Islam movement among these Muslim youths. Every young man that I met, I found eagerly looking forward to a Greater Islam. One young Barrister who presided over one of my Calcutta meetings, in introducing me as Editor of the “Light” said: “ It is a small paper, but I see in it germs of Renascent Islam” and the  last two words evoked tremendous applause. Renascent Islam – that sums up the young Muslim Bengal mentality. No longer content with the hum-drum state of things, every undergraduate, even a schoolboy, is on the tiptoe of expectation for the Revival of Islam. Fed up with Mulla- Islam which is but a bundle of dead forms and formulas, they are out for an Islam throbbing with life. The little bit of it that I was able to present in the course of an address or two was enthusiastically received. I still re-collect it not so much as a compliment to my own humble efforts, but also as a sign of the times, when one venerable President, old in body but none the less young in soul than his youthful audience spoke of the “Light” as enlightening Bengal. At Calcutta, at Burdan, at Shillong, at Sylhet, at Chittagong, everywhere that I went I found a  young Islam movement afoot, young men up to say final good-bye to the old sluggish order of things, to turn a new page altogether. Back to the Islam of the Quran, to the Islam of the Prophet – an Islam of life, of activity, of struggle, of manliness, of dignity and of glory – this is the spirit with which the youth all over Muslim Bengal are pulsating. As I write, all those young faces, aglow with this new-born spark of life and light come up before me. These to my mind, are the silver-lining on the horizon of Islam and to those I dedicate this foremost place of honour in this series.

The Light – February 16, 1927                                                  M.Y.Khan

The Editor’s whereabouts.

We think our readers are eager to know further news about the Editor, whom, in our last note about him a month ago, we left in Calcutta. In Calcutta he successfully addressed four monster meetings under the   presidentship of notable Hindu and Muslim leaders of the place. It is remarkable that, Sir P. C. Roy, who presided over one of these meetings, ex­pressed the opinion that in the presentation of Islam in the manner the missionary from Lahore was doing lay the potential remedy for the inter-communal ill-feeling that is every day disgracing our national existence. He pointed out that no serious attempts have yet been made by the general Muslims to remove the misunderstandings that lurk in the Non-Muslim minds about Islam and its teachings.

Of course, he did not fail, at the same time, to make a pointed remark on the ridiculous posi­tion of the so-called Hinduistic religion. From Calcutta Moulvi Yaqub Khan proceeded to Jamshedpur where lies the universally-known Tata Iron Factory, and in the three lectures that he delivered there, apart from other beneficial results, he was able to create a very wholesome impression about Islam on the minds of the English section of the employees. Thence he proceeded to Shanti Niketan, where Tagore has started his famous University, visiting Burdwan for the second time on the way and addressing the Hindu community of the place in the English language in a public meeting. At Shanti Niketan he met Sir Tagore and ex­changed some views with that great personage. After that he is reported to have visited all the important places of Eastern Bengal and Assam, everywhere received with great enthusiasm. He has almost exhausted his program by this time and is expected back to Lahore by the last week of the current month, with some practical suggestions about the kind of help the Muslims of Bengal require in their endeavor to endear Islam to all hearts.