Description

About the Book

   The book dealing with the life and activities of Rai Sahib Panchanan Barma, a person of multilinear qualities is a valuable document on the socio-economic-political history of the region called North Bengal, a part of ancient Kamrup and the community known as Rajbanshis of North Bengal. It contains-

•  Socio-cultural history of the ethnic group Rajbanshis- their social position in the caste based society
•  Panchanan Barma’s education
•  His association with Rangpur Sahitya Academy that characterized his literary life reflected from Rangpur Sahitya Patrika, the mouth-piece of the Academy
•  His appearance as Social Reformer through the formation of Kshatriya Samiti in Rangpur
•  History of caste movement, movement for re-Kshatriyaisation of the Rajbanshis
•  Activities of Kshatriya Samiti obtained from the Samiti documents
•  Panchanan’s political life as reflected from the proceedings of West Bengal Legislative Council
•  Comparative analysis of caste-ism based social movement by Panchanan Barma Vs social movement through caste annihilation by Dr. B.R. Ambed            

About the Author

Dr. Sukhbilas Barma, a bureaucrat maintained close connection with North Bengal, his place of residence and with the Rajbanshi community he belongs to. He collected sufficient materials of research on the cultural history of the region and the community. A ‘top grade’ performer in folk music of All India Radio, Calcutta, Barma did Ph.D from Rabindra Bharati University in 2000 on Ethnomusicology of Bhawaiya, a folk form of North Bengal. He has since authored 5 books-‘Jaag Gan’ in Bengali, ‘Bhawaiya-Chatka’ in Bengali, ‘Bhawaiya-Ethnomusicological Study’, ‘Socio-cultural Movements in North Bengal’ and ‘Ganer Pakhi Abbas’ in Bengali.

      He has been awarded Honorary D.Litt by the University of North Bengal in 2005 for his valuable contribution on folk culture. He has been associated right from his college days with the activities of Kshatriya Samiti established in 1913 under the leadership of Panchanan Barma, the greatest social worker of the entire north-east with the objective of bringing about all round development of the Rajbanshis of North Bengal. Dr Barma, as a devout follower of Panchanan Barma, has been associated with the social activities of Kshatriya samiti. He was doing research on Panchanan Barma for long. Based on the ducumentary materials collected from various sources, he has authored this valuable book on Panchanan Barma, the friend, philosopher and guide of the people of North Bengal.