With reference to the book ‘Desher Katha’ written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements:
- It warned against the Colonial State’s hypnotic conquest of the mind.
- It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
- The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
- Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar and his book ‘Desher Katha’
- Background:
- Deuskar was a close associate of Sri Aurobindo
- He studied at Deoghar School and later became a teacher
- Content of ‘Desher Katha’:
- First published in June 1904 and sold 10,000 copies in four editions within a year
- Detailed description of British commercial and industrial exploitation of India
- Summarized the work of M.G. Ranade and D. Naoroji in a popular idiom
- Warned against the colonial state’s “hypnotic conquest of the mind”
- Impact of ‘Desher Katha’:
- Had an immense effect on young minds during the Swadeshi Movement
- Became mandatory reading for an entire generation of Swadeshi activists
- Informed people about Swadeshi street plays and folk songs
- Misconception:
- Statement 3 (“Sri Aurobindo was the first to relate the English equivalent of ‘Swaraj’ with ‘Independence'”) is not correct.
- Deuskar’s concept of ‘Desh’:
- Used ‘desh’ to mean nation
- Overlap of place of origin and nation, as well as jati and nationality, inflected understandings of the nation/country in distinct ways.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
