This article is contributed by Mr. Sugato Roy
Of all the movements conceptualised in pre-independent India focussing on social improvement and emancipation of the youth and womenfolk, the Bratachari movement initiated in 1932 and accelerated since 1934 occupies a very special place. Heralding the movement was none other than Shri Gurusaday Datta, a top-grade I.C.S officer, and a strict disciplinarian to the core who was much influenced by his wife Shrimati Saroj Nalini Datta. It was Shrimati Datta who successfully unwrapped the fabulous and rich heritage of Bengal in particular to Shri Datta who was greatly influenced and started readopting to the Bengali lifestyle. Thus, was formed the “Saroj Nalini Datta Memorial Association” in 1925 to help in uplifting the hapless women of Bengal especially the widows who had very meagre means of survival.
The year 1931 marks a watershed year in the history of the Bratachari movement in Bengal. Gurusaday Datta was posted in Birbhum as the district magistrate and it is where he established the “Palli Sampad Rakshaa Samiti” for restoration and preservation of the folk arts in undivided Bengal. This Samity eventually became the precursor to what will be known as the Bratachari movement from 1934. Datta started organising exhibitions in various parts of the state to promote the rich traditions of the folk art of Bengal which became an eye-opener to the general public about the treasure trove that the state is having. The same year a training camp of the folk dances and songs was organised under the signage of Nikhil Banga Lok Nrittya Shibir. Datta’s dream of a very different social improvement movement was finally taking a tangible shape.
In 1935, the Bengal Bratachari Society was formed which was headquartered in Bowbazar. ‘Brata’ in Bengali means a vow or an objective which one undertakes to complete and ‘chari’ means the practice to comply with the brata. A newsletter of the movement “Banglar Shakti” was started and the movement grew by leaps and bounds. Scores of young men and women started enrolling themselves as members where the main objective was to lay stress on the importance of attaining super perfection in all spheres of life be it physical, mental and moral so that they become perfect human beings later on. The physical drills and exercises that are conducted at the camps are to become highly acclaimed nationwide.
A complete campus perfect in all respects was established by Datta himself in Bratacharigram near Joka in the outskirts of Kolkata. While the total area of the campus is around 101 bighas, the main attraction is the museum which was established in 1961. One will be enthralled and fascinated by the collections displayed over there collected from all parts of the state to which I am a fortunate visitor and witness. Some of the artifacts are indeed priceless and very rare, depicting the history of the bygone era.
It has been a regular practice of the institution to organise an annual Bratachari camp in December every year in the Bratacharigram campus where participants from Bangladesh also take part actively.
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