Forgotten Frontiers: Understanding the National Movement in North Bengal

Abstract

North Bengal is a region seldom explored in the nationalist historiography. This paper provides a basic study of how the Indian Freedom Struggle unfolded in this often-neglected region. It highlights key events, some local leaders, and mass participation that significantly contributed to India’s Independence. A larger part of the freedom struggle included the mass struggle. However, the mainstream historical narratives only focus on the politically fermented areas and tend to efface the ‘mass’ from far-flung areas. This paper is an attempt to analyse the movement that started in North Bengal and understand the importance of localised history in uncovering hidden dimensions of the National Movement.