Colonial Capital and National Retrieve: Profile of an Entrepreneur

Abstract

The life and work of Nalini Ranjan Sarkar forms an interesting saga in the history of freedom movement of Bengal in the first half of the twentieth century. Starting from the provincial level, his activities in the economic and the political field soon spilled over to the events in the national mainstream movement with involvement in the Indian National Congress on the one hand, and active participation in the newly founded Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on the other. By establishing an Indian insurance company on a sound footing amongst the unequal competition with the foreign enterprises in a colonial setting, he may be credited with achieving a milestone in the sphere of nascent indigenous entrepreneurial adventures, something which a very few of the Bengalis could achieve. This article attempts' to study the dynamic display of the balancing act between Sarkar's economic and political activities as well as propagation of different social and educational issues, which has been, many a time, undermined and overshadowed with scepticism by his ambiguity and opportunistic approach.