Nirmal Kumar Bose

Nirmal Kumar Bose Biography

Nirmal Kumar Bose was a leading anthropologist, also known as a leading sociologist, urbanist, Gandhian, a freedom fighter and educationist. Nirmal played a significant role in building Indian Tradition in Anthropology. His ability to move the masses and draw them into the anti-colonial struggle makes him a significant person. He wrote profusely in English and Bangla languages on subjects like the structure of Hindu society, life of adivasis and temple architecture of Orissa. In 1940 he started his Studies in Gandhism, and published a memoir - My Days with Gandhi in 1953. This work includes the last decade of life of Mahatma Gandhi. He served as the secretary of Gandhi in the mid-1940s.

He was born in Kolkata in 1901. While doing PG program at Presidency College, he dropped out of his studies to participate in freedom struggle movement. He was associated with Non Cooperation Movement and was imprisoned in 1931 during the Salt Satyagraha. However he completed MSc degree in anthropology from the University of Calcutta. As an anthropologist his initial work was among the Juang of Orissa, during 1924–25. Cultural Anthropology (1929), Canons of Orissan architecture (1932), The Structure of Indian Society (1949), Some aspects of caste in Bengal (1958), Calcutta 1964: a social survey (1968) and Anthropology and some Indian problems (1972) are his works later. Peasant Life in India (1961) is his major work.

He served as the director of the Anthropological Survey of India from 1959 to 1964. Konaraker Bibaran – his work on the Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa has a major significance. ‘Selections from Gandhi’ (1934) is an anthology of best works of Gandhi. Despite being a Gandhian, who served as a Secretary to Gandhi during his last phase of life, he expressed his great disapproval of Gandhi towards his bizarre experiments with suppressing his own sexuality. He once wrote an open letter to his friend expressing his disapproval.

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Updated: March 27, 2016