Question
Write about Swami’s ‘Bartaman Bharat’ as a source of nationalist history.
Answer
“Bartaman Bharat” (Present-day India) is a collection of essays written by Swami Vivekananda in Bengali language during his travels throughout India. This book is considered an important source of nationalist history as it reflects Swami Vivekananda’s ideas on India’s past, present, and future.
In “Bartaman Bharat,” Swami Vivekananda emphasized the need for India to revive its cultural heritage and spiritual values, and to use them as a foundation for the country’s progress. He also wrote about the importance of education, especially the education of women, to uplift the nation.
Swami Vivekananda’s essays in “Bartaman Bharat” are rich in descriptions of India’s cultural and social diversity. He highlighted the unity of India’s diverse communities and encouraged the people to come together to fight against colonialism.
Through his writings, Swami Vivekananda also criticized the British government’s policies in India, such as the economic exploitation and the destruction of India’s traditional industries.