Intellect and cultural renaissance

Thirty years ago, it was said education could wait but Swaraj could not. Today, some repeat the slogan with industry’ in place of Swaraj. We must dig deep to fix in our minds what our core values are, says Humayun Kabir

- Humayun Kabir

Intellectual awakening is the basis of all cultural renaissance. Whether it be literature or philosophy, fine art or science, the best work can be done only in an atmosphere where the mind is free and willing and able to penetrate to the heart of things.

Whenever the people are intellectually alert and vital, we find manifestations of their vitality in different forms of cultural activity.

India had for several centuries suffered from intellectual torpor and the result was seen in political subjugation, economic stalemate and social stagnation. The impact of the West acted as a shock and brought about an Indian intellectual reawakening. It is as a result of this awakening that India has in the last hundred or hundred and fifty years developed a new urge of life which led to artistic efflorescence, social changes and finally political liberty.

The task of reconstruction of life is, however, still far from complete. In fact, it has only begun with power in the hands of the common man for the first time in India's age-old history. A new foundation of a prosperous economy must be built. Awareness of social and political rights and duties must develop side by side. A new feeling of common nationhood in a common human world must permeate all aspects of individual and communal life. The basis of all these constructions must necessarily be a new intellectual orientation of the common man.

It was intellectual ferment generated by contact with the West that ultimately ushered Indian independence. After independence, the intellectual ferment continues as before but one may question if the re-examination of old values has gone far enough.