Remebering Sumit Sarkar (1939–2026): “History from Below” and the Reclamation of the “Small Man”
Sarkar observed a systemic failure: while reformists fought crucial battles against social evils like Sati or for widow remarriage, their ideological horizon was bound by an unshakeable faith in the providential nature of British rule. Crucially, Sarkar pointed out the communal blind spot embedded in this early reformism.