The Bewildered Leader-M.K. Gandhi

About the Book

The idea for this translation came from the need to read and understand my dad's books. Recognised in the Indian and, especially, the Bengali literary world, and the recipient of many literary awards, Dr Arabinda Poddar was greatly appreciated and supported by his family. Yet, unfortunately, none of his family members had actually read his Bengali books. The reasons were varied—the language was too difficult or some family members did not know how to read or write the Bengali language, being born and brought up outside the state of West Bengal. I started reading my Dad's books and was amazed by the wealth of knowledge in each. I felt sad that such knowledge was sitting on the shelves, gathering dust, and not being gleaned by anyone in the family. In addition, it also occurred to me that these Bengali books were worth a wider audience than just the Bengali literary or intellectual circles. Therefore, I started this venture to translate his work. This is the first translation. If nothing else, the immediate and extended family of Dr Arabinda Poddar could start reading his work. I have tried to keep this work as simple and as close to the original work as possible. Fortunately, my father, the author, very kindly agreed to review the translation as well, and provided his precious input. This was critical to ensure that this work did not deviate much from the original. A special note of thanks to my son, Antriksh Singh, for checking the manuscript for its readability. Sujata Singh

About the Author

Prof Arabinda Poddar is well-known in the literary and political circles of Bengal for his strong yet positive social and political views. He has authored several books in Bengali as well as English on a variety of topics—literary, political, historical, and cultural. However, he prefers to write in Bengali. The author had also participated in the independence struggle and was detained for a couple of years. Poddar has written critical assessments of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (the pioneer 19th century novelist) and Rabindranath Tagore, in the backdrop of Indo-British politico-social relation; both of which were acclaimed and rewarded by Calcutta University as path-breaking works in the field of criticism. He was a visiting fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, where he contributed significantly to the study of the resurgence of Bengali literature and culture under the impact of western systems of thought and civilization. Poddar has been twice honoured by the prestigious literary institute, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. Additionally, the Asiatic Society has awarded him a lectureship instituted in the memory of Vidyasagar (the great social reformer of the 19th century). Dr Sujata Singh has had a versatile experience as teacher, researcher, editor, and author. She has worked with WHO AIDS programme, has taught in high schools and colleges, and spent most of her professional life in the field of publishing—educational books and newspaper (both in India and Canada). She has co-authored social studies textbooks (geography sections) for grades 6, 7, and 8 for Encyclopedia Britannica India. She has also authored student guide and test bank (university level) for Oxford University Press Canada. Additionally, she has written innumerable articles and special features for newspapers. Singh was selected for an international assignment to South Africa by The Times of India to present a country report that published in The Times of India and The Economic Times of India with the focus on the trade potential between India and South Africa