2025/01/02 by Sahana Bajpaie · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Asian Studies and History #Bangladesh Politics, Society, and Development #South Asian Studies and Conflicts
paper · doi:10.1080/17411912.2025.2504252
openalex publication_date 2025/01/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Rabindranath Tagore’s songs, or Rabindrasangīt—a cornerstone of Bengali middle-class identity—also include the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh. In the latter, controversy surrounds whether ‘Āmār Sonār Baṅglā’ should continue to serve as the nation’s sonic emblem. While dominant narratives frame Rabindrasangīt as apolitical and detached from social identity, this article examines its role in shaping a syncretic Bengali subjectivity in Bangladesh (formerly East Bengal). From its anti-sectarian function in the Swadeshi Movement to its mobilisation in the Language Movement and the Liberation War, Rabindrasangīt has repeatedly intersected with national struggles. The article focuses on the post-Partition period, tracing the convergence of Bengali Muslim identity and linguistic nationalism. While state policies restricted Rabindrasangīt and elevated the songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam—thereby deepening sectarian divisions—institutions such as Chāẏānāṭa worked to revive its syncretic ethos. Rabindrasangīt remains central to ongoing debates about Bengali identity, negotiating the tensions between cultural heritage, nationalism, and religious identity in postcolonial Bangladesh.