MARGOT
Author- REBA SOM
Publisher- PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, Rs 599
Margot set up a school in Bengal under Swami Vivekananda’s direction. She adopted India as her own land and spent her entire life for the betterment of the people, writes AVANTIKA POKHRIYAl
Reba Som’s Margot is not a book that one comes across every day. As the subject of her biography, the writer chooses not a martial hero or an illustrious political leader but a simple Irish woman who with her conviction and selfless service redefined the very contours of heroism and went on to become both a hero and a leader for the people of India. Margot Noble (1867-1911) was born and brought up in Ireland but dedicated her life to the cause of the emancipation of the masses in India, especially women. Her life is a testament to the fact that an individual’s willpower can, sometimes, move mountains.
With painstaking detail and meticulous research, Som presents before the readers a vivid picture of Nivedita’s life. However, at no point does the book read like a hagiography. With refreshing candour, Som lays bare the (often self-confessed) foibles of Nivedita’s character. Her argumentative nature and impulsiveness were unusual for a brahmacharini, but instead of taking away from it, they serve to heighten the readers’ admiration for her as they make her character so much more accessible and relatable.
Margot’s first encounter with Vivekananda was in london in 1895, when he was in the country giving public as well as private lectures on the Vedantic message of unity of all beings. She was greatly moved both by the simple grandeur of the message and the Swami himself and decided to answer his call for help to the West. In 1898, she moved to India and dedicated herself to the cause of the education and the upliftment of Indian women. She set up a school in Bengal under Vivekananda’s direction and for the years to come devoted herself to this cause. Margot never saw India as the oriental ‘other’ to the civilised West. Instead, she adopted India as her own land and spent her entire life for the betterment of her fellow men and women. Not surprisingly, she was bestowed with the epithet of ‘Jagat Mata’ later in her life.
Nivedita’s life in India was far from easy. living in an alien environment, away from friends and family, must have been an intimidating challenge. As a foreigner, she was seen with a mix of suspicion and animosity. Although she gradually won the hearts of the native population, she came under the scanner of the British Government. She was always quite open about her critique of Britain’s policy of racial discrimination as well as the economic and social exploitation of India. Her letters were screened and she had to be extremely cautious of her actions lest she called upon the ire of the British. However, nothing could ever really stop her. She was ever committed to her goal and though after Vivekananda’s death in 1902, she distanced herself from the Ramakrishna mission it was still India — its independence that occupied all of her energies. She now gave her all to channelising the nationalist fervour in the Indian youth and instilling pride in them about their native heritage. At the time of her death in 1911, Indian independence was still over three decades away but her role in mobilising the people of India can never be forgotten. In fact, she was the inspiration behind Abanindranath Tagore’s painting of Bharat Mata and as such is an inalienable part of our nationalist heritage.
Her relationship with her mentor was not free from conflict. She was passionately devoted to him yet there were also frequent clashes, not personal, but ideological, between the two. As she grew, her bond with Vivekananda also transformed. He was her ‘King’, her ‘Master’ and later in life even her ‘Father’. Margot traces the growth and evolution of Sister Nivedita into her own individual self. The book encapsulates the personal, emotional, and intellectual maturation of Nivedita over the years. The writer’s expansive knowledge of her subject matter and the setting combined with the spellbinding charisma of Margot’s personality make the reading of this book into an immeasurably rewarding experience.
The narrative flows seamlessly and is interspersed with biographical evidence, particularly in the form of letters which Nivedita exchanged with her friends both in India and abroad. These letters reveal her most private thoughts, fears, and aspirations. Som’s writing style is lucid and crisp. However, since the chapters have been divided thematically, not chronologically, some ideas tend to get repeated. The writer manages to also explicate the conceptual background with mastery and revives the tumultuous period of the Bengal Renaissance with effortless grace. From the late 19th century onwards, Bengal was a hotbed of literary and nationalist activity. This made the atmosphere particularly conducive to the growth of Nivedita’s ideas pertaining to Vedanta philosophy as well as nationalism.
Nivedita led an active intellectual life. Throughout her stay in India, and even when she would visit her home in England or go on lecture tours of America, she was actively corresponding with like-minded intellectuals worldwide. She even acted as a patron/guardian for the (now) world renowned biologist Jagdish Chandra Bose. Nivedita displayed an acute interest in all the latest developments around her. Her letters, therefore, are a rich source of information on her life and ideas — be it on the cause of the education of women, the freedom struggle in India, the political crisis surrounding her or her personal turmoil due to her feelings for her ‘Master’. She was interested in literature, theatre, social science, philosophy, politics as well as painting and wrote various works ranging from the biography of Vivekananda to travel narratives, treatises on Vedantic thought, and tales from Indian mythology and folklore. She also acted as the editor for various others such as Bose and even the Japanese scholar Okakura Kakuzo.
Nivedita was one of those rare gems of history who without ever having donned the robe of fame have made an indelible mark on the history of an entire nation. Her unadulterated humanitarian impulse and insurmountable will power make her an unsurpassable human being. Reba Som has done a commendable work by bringing to light the unsung hero of India…nay, the world.
The reviewer is an Assistant Professor of English literature at the University of Delhi