Prologue continues....

The colonial government brought railways and the English language.

Railways linked various parts of the country and made movement easier

and faster. The English language brought new ideas and thoughts that, in

the ultimate analysis, helped in creating nationalistic urges and a quest for

freedom from bondage. Centuries of subjugation had destroyed the vitality

of the Indian people.

They were more or less resigned to their fate. English education and contacts with intellectuals and thinkers in Europe made

Indians aware of the stirrings of new thoughts and ideas in the West. The

insights they gained compelled them to take a fresh look at the sociopolitical conditions in India. The awakening created waves in the realms of religion and social and political life. India, which had been suffering from intellectual exhaustion, woke up and began to inhale the freshness of new ideas. Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Swami Vivekananda are two

outstanding personalities who helped in awakening the conscience of

Indians.

Swami Vivekananda followed the path of Vedanta to make Indians

realize the glory of their civilization and the path they should choose to

recover their lost dignity and pride. The reformist zeal that permeated social

movements of this century was the product of modern education.

Rabindranath Tagore himself translated into English his seminal work

Geetanjali, for which he received the Nobel Prize. Tagore was one of the

greatest poets, a reformist and a great humanist who symbolized the new

awakening in India.

To be continued......