Upendra Nath Barman and Caste Politics Among the Rajbanshis of North Bengal

Abstract

Caste politics was a part and parcel of Indian politics during the colonial rule. Some political leaders during this time primarily emerged through caste politics. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century Bengal also featured many caste movements. The Rajbanshi Kshatriya movement is one of those movements led by the elite and aristocrats of the community such as Panchanan Barma. The movement organized by Thakur Panchanan Barma i.e. ‘Raj bans hi Kshatriya Movement’ is studied elsewhere by many scholars and is not the goal of this essay. An attempt has been made here to make a critical study of the role of the little known Upendra Nath Barman (1898-1988) in the politics and society of contemporary north Bengal and his achievements for the Scheduled Caste Raj bans his of North Bengal.