Swami Vivekananda – The Socialist, which was banned by the British government has been reprinted almost after a century.

The author of the book is none other than Bhupendranath Dutta, Swamiji’s younger brother.

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Anustup has brought out both the original book in English and the Bengali translation by two young researchers, namely Soumobrato Dasgupta. Bhupendranath Dutta, popularly known as BN Dutta, had written a book Swamiji Vivekananda Patriot Prophet in 1954.

Swami Vivekananda – The Socialist was written in the 1920s of the last century. It was published by the Khalishpur Swaraj Ashram, Krishi Fund, district Khulna. Datta writes the sale proceeds of the book will go to the publisher.

BN Dutta has written the foreword of the book as well as the footnotes.

In the foreword BN Dutta writes, “Indian nationalism as understood by Swamiji is not the same as understood today. To him, the nation meant the people. He wanted the uplift and freedom of the Indian people. He wanted the material and moral advancement of the same. By “people” he did not mean a political term, but the masses, which constitutes the major portion of humanity living in India. In reading the sayings of Swamiji quotes in this booklet, the reader will find that he has divided the Indians into two classes, the rich- the upper class and the poor, the lower class. This latter class he has designated as the “masses.” They form the toiling classes of India.

Swamiji’s efforts were directed in drawing the attention of the youth of the country towards the betterment of the condition of the masses. He has not only repeatedly asked them to take up this onerous task but also laid down the principles of his programme too. But how many have realised what he has said and how many have acted up to it?”

He further writes in the foreword: “A Marxist will be amazed in seeing his anticipated in the sayings of Swamiji, and he will be more amazed when he reads that Swamiji has openly called himself a “socialist”. Therein lies the key to Swamiji’s advice to the youth of the country. One will be surprised in reading that Swamiji has not only used Marx’s phrase that “the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer but he has also spoken about the “proletarian culture” and has foretold that the “Prfotetocult (proletarian culture) of the Indian masses will be the future culture of New India.”

Mr Neogy, while working in the British library got hold of a copy of the book which had been banned by the British administration. The British administration was against the Bolshevik revolution and never allowed the youths to get themselves acquainted with Socialist ideas. They even refused to allow Bertrand Russell, famous British philosopher to address the convocation of Calcutta University alleging that he was a socialist.