Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026
Novel Insights A Peer-Reviewed Quarterly Multidisciplinary Research Journal |
Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026 |
The Origin of Matua Philosophy and Namasudra Social Upliftment Movement Through The Lens of Foucauldian Power Relations Pritam Mondal, Research scholar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Email: mondal.pritam18@gmail.com |
Received: 20.03.2026 | Accepted: 30.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 |
Page No: 200-205 | DOI: 10.69655/novelinsights.vol.2.issue.specialW.103 | |
Abstract | ||
This paper examines the origin and evolution of Matua philosophy and the Namasudra social upliftment movement through the theoretical lens of Michel Foucault, particularly his concepts of power relations and governmentality. Methodologically, the paper employs discourse analysis of academic writings of eminent scholars like Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Namasudra religious texts, and community-produced literature to trace the formation of an alternative epistemic and social order. It demonstrates that the Namasudras simultaneously resisted Brahmanical hegemony while strategically engaging with colonial education and socio-economic mobility. The main argument of this paper that the emergence of Matua philosophy cannot be understood merely as a religious reform movement; rather, it constitutes a critical counter-discourse that challenged entrenched caste hierarchies and Brahmanical dominance in colonial and postcolonial India. By situating the Namasudra movement within broader dynamics of power, resistance, and discourse, the study highlights how marginalized communities actively negotiate and reconfigure structures of domination. Keywords: Matua Philosophy, Namasudra Movement, Power and Governmentality, Brahmanical Hegemony, Discourse and Resistance | ||