Chandernagore

Book excerpt: Chandernagore, a former French possession near Kolkata, has experienced several changes in fortune, moving from being the hub of revolutionary activities against British imperialists to being subjugated by the French. Utilizing diverse original sources from India and France, as well as the private papers of Debendra Nath Dash, a key figure in Chandernagore politics, this book examines the unfolding events in the struggle of the people of Chandernagore against French colonial rule. It situates the events within the broader context of other French settlements--Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam--with Pondicherry being pivotal to French imperialism in India. The struggle against French tutelage was fought in a non-violent manner through a process of negotiations that led to a peaceful referendum in 1949, the first of its kind in India. This book is a ground-breaking research work on Chandernagore--a town on which there is still little published material available--and provides important scholarship in the field of the history of West Bengal.