Vivekananda And Indian Freedom

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Well-known as a scholar, writer and public figure, Hiren Mukerjee, educated at Calcutta and Oxford, and called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, taught History and Political Thought at Andhra (1934-35) and Calcutta (1940-44) Universities and was from 1936 to 1957 Head of the Department of History at Surendranath (formerly Ripon) College, Calcutta. A member of the All India Congress Committee (1938- 39) and of the National Council of the Communist Party of India (1958-68), Professor Mukerjee represented Calcutta in Parliament (Lok Sabha) from 1952 to 1977. He authored a number of books, in Bengali and in English, on historical, political, literary and other themes. He gave the Gopal Chandra and Sarala Ganguli Memorial Lectures for 1985 at the Institute on Vivekananda and Indian Freedom in July 1985. Highly appreciated by the audience, these lectures appeared in the June and July 1986 issues of the Institute's Bulletin. Now these are presented in the form of a booklet for the benefit of the larger public.

Professor Hiren Mukerjee is a much respected name not only because he is a pillar of the Communist Movement in India, but also because he is a scholar, an orator par excellence and a distinguished parliamentarian. Those who know him closely know also of many other qualities for which he is both loved and adored.

Professor Mukerjee was invited to give the Sarala Gopal Banerjee lectures for the year 1985 at the Institute. He gave two lectures and he spoke on Vivekananda and Indian Freedom'. As we all know, Swami Vivekananda was the first to infuse the spirit of revolt into the Indian mind, revolt not only against political subjugation, but against all kinds of social evils and exploitation. He was also the first to give the call to work among the masses where the real power of the nation lay. There can be no doubt that he was a forerunner of those who, following in his steps, later fought and brought in a subject much talked about but what Professor Mukerjee said was amazingly refreshing.