Sumaya Machado Lima holds a PhD in Literary Theory from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Her current research applies a hermeneutical approach to analyze Indian songs called Prabhat Samgiitas, delving into the concepts of Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar’s philosophy, such as Supra-aesthetics, Neohumanism, and Rajadhiraj Yoga.
Sumaya Machado Lima
Abstract: This article investigates the philosophical agency potential in Bengali music, framing social constraint via Bourdieu’s Habitus and Symbolic Power. Using a hermeneutic approach, the study compares Tagore’s “Ekla Chalo Re” with Sarkar’s “E gán thámibe ná”. Results show Tagore emphasizes individual courage, while Sarkar’s music infuses a collective mandate, linking action to Neo-Humanism and PROUT. The work dialogues with Spivak’s question (“Can the subaltern speak?”), arguing Sarkar’s composition instrumentalizes the subaltern for active transformation, presenting a paradigm shift in Indian social agency.
Keywords: Music; Prout; Tagore; Spivak; Sarkar
Bengali popular music, over the decades, has constantly reinvented itself while preserving its roots and connections with the classical Indian musical traditions and the region’s folk traditions. A distinctive characteristic of this music (gīta) is the fusion of local rhythms with influences from other parts of India and the world. This has allowed for the creation of a unique musical style that goes beyond simple entertainment, serving as a vehicle for expressing spirituality, social and political issues, and emotions. Genres like Baul and Rabindra Samgīta, which originated in the Bengal region, are two notable examples of this constantly renewed fusion between the traditional and the modern. Baul, for instance, is a mystical musical style characterized by philosophical and devotional lyrics, which influenced thinkers such as Caetanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (1922-1990), and Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Notable for being the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore was also a prolific composer whose musical compendium, comprising about 2300 songs, became an Indian classic, known internationally as Rabindra Samgīta.
Both genres, Baul and Rabindra Samgīta, remain a central element of the Bengali cultural identity, known for their combination of poetry, melody, spirituality, and concern for contemporary social and cultural issues such as freedom, identity, and social change. A particularly representative excerpt of this connection with contemporary society can be found in Tagore’s famous song called Ekla Chalo Re, translated as “Walk Alone.” It is known that this was one of Mahatma Gandhi’s (1869-1948) favorite songs. Considering it in the political context of India’s struggle for independence and against British oppression, it is understandable that this song became a symbol of resistance and strength in the face of adversity, being frequently sung during moments of protest or struggle for freedom (Singh, 2010).
As inferred from the poet and musician Shivpreet Singh (2010)1, Tagore, with his humanist and philosophical vision, used this song to convey the message of perseverance and autonomy in the face of individual life challenges and social conditions2. The phrase – Ekla Chalo Re – is repeated (like a chorus) throughout the song. Although composed by Tagore in 1903 in eloquent English, this song received a reinterpretation and a contemporary translation by the poet Singh (2010), which illustrates not only the timelessness of the original song and its relevance, but also its contemporary pertinence and youthful empowerment in 2010.
If they answer not to thy call walk alone If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall O thou unlucky one Open thy mind and speak out alone
If no one answers your call Make a stride and walk alone When everyone is closed and shut Open your mind and speak alone. Walk alone, walk alone, walk alone.3
In this way, the message of moving forward, even in the face of adversity and loneliness. In times of political and social uncertainty, this song transforms into a musical code, finding resonance today with many individuals and social groups—whether in political issues, such as the struggle for freedom of expression, or in social issues that require courage to transform the present.
According to the poet Singh, this song by Tagore was inspired by the Bengali kīrtan (popular Bengali Indian devotional music) Harinaam Dye Jagat Matale Amar Ekla Nitai He4, because of the chorus which basically reinforces “because of the intoxication of Harinaam, I’m not alone.” The poet states that both the repetition of Ekla Nitai (I am not alone – one is not alone, because one has the Divine in mind) and the melody are identical to Tagore’s famous song. Thus, it is deduced that Tagore drew from old popular Bengali kīrtans and, in doing so, influences new generations who deal with themes such as identity, social inequality, and the struggle for a better future.
For listeners accustomed to insistently repeated melodies—like the popular “Let it go”5 from Disney, a phenomenon among children and adults—music is often restricted to the domain of entertainment. In stark contrast, we propose to observe how one face of Indian music is rooted in history and in rich oral narratives such as those cited above. It is in this universe, reflected in its vast literature, that the prestige attributed to gītas emerges, along with their uplifting effect on the human mind and spirituality.
Timely, it was noted that, besides Tagore’s song Ekla Chalo Re, Sarkar’s song E gán thámibe ná (P.S. 4795) also addresses themes such as social agency, self-knowledge, determination, and resilience. The complete poems in the original language and in English translation are presented below.
Ekla Cholo re6(Rabindranath Tagore)
Jodi tor dak sune keu na ashe,
Tobe ekla cholo, ekla chalo, aekla chalo re,
Aikla cholo re,
Jodi kue kotha na koe,
ore o re o obaghaga, keu kotha na koe
Jodi sobai thake muhk phirae , sobai kore bhoye,
Tobe poran khule,
O tui, mukh phute tor moner kotha,
Ekla bolo re
Jab kali ghata chaye,
Ore o re o andhera sach ko nigal jaye
Jab duniya sari, dar ke age sar apna jhukaye,
Tu shola banja, Wo shola banja, Jo khud jal ke jahan raushan karde,
Ekla jalo re.
If no one answers your call,
Then walk alone,
(be not afraid) walk alone my friend
If no one talks to you,
O my unlucky friend, if no one speaks to you,
If everyone looks the other way and everyone is afraid,
Then bare your soul and let out what is in your mind,
(be not afraid) Speak alone my friend.
When dark clouds cover the sky, When darkness engulfs the truth,
When the world cowers and bows before fear,
You be the flame, The flame that burns you and banishes darkness from the world,
(be not afraid) Burn alone my friend.
E gán thámibe ná7 (Prabhat R. Sarkar)
E gán thámibe ná
E dábi damibe ná
Path beṋdhe dilo álokojjvala
Prout́er preśańá
Sahya karechi juga juga dhare
Sahyer siimá gelo bheuṋge paŕe
Dánav ájio bhrubhauṋgi kare
Niitivádii unmaná
Púrva digante aruń eseche
Káler kálimá sariyá je geche
Viśáder par álok jhariche
Ár deri sahibe ná
This song will not end.
This demand will not be silenced.
A path that brings unity bright—
That is the mission of PROUT.
Age after age, we have endured;
But the limit of tolerance was breached.
Nowadays, the demons knit their brows—
The moralists are restless.
On the eastern horizon the sunglow comes;
The era of darkness is soon to fade.
After gloom, effulgence pervades;
Further delay will not be borne.
Sarkar’s vast poetic work includes over a thousand gītas called Prabhat Samgītas, and the theme of Song 4795 is classified on the Sarkarverse website as Proutist. The name Prout refers to the ideology inaugurated by P.R. Sarkar (2010; 2016) for a new human society, a society with a different understanding of Humanism, coined by Sarkar as Neohumanism. According to the author, society must concern itself not only with the well-being of humans but also with the well-being of all beings and natural resources: water, air, minerals, flora, fauna. For Sarkar, society must be critical of supremacist political powers and leaderships, which separate humans from each other, oppress their capacities, and prevent them from developing and achieving self-realization as integral beings. In this Sarkar’s Neohumanism, a spirit of unity is encouraged among people acting with intent contrary to political leaderships deemed corrosive to humanity, ensuring the right to food, clothing, housing, education, and medical treatment (the basis of what he calls Sama-Samája Tattva). For the author, it is not enough to recognize human rights as a principle. As an honest person, one must make the maximum effort to ensure that people attain their rights (Sarkar, p. 80, 2001).
It is noted that, perhaps due to the influence of Baul songs, this composition E gán thámibe ná (#4795) by Sarkar, and others in his Proutist and Neohumanist repertoire, transcend mere artistic expression, positioning themselves as a powerful catalyst for individual and collective social transformation. The resonance of their messages becomes more evident when a dialogue is established between E gán thámibe ná (4795) and Tagore’s Ekla Chalo Re. Both illustrate crucial points of convergence and distinction that illuminate the path of human resistance and hope. They co-affirm but also distance themselves in the form of messages of courage and self-sufficiency, especially in contexts of social and political struggle.
Both songs share an emphasis on persistence and non-submission. Ekla Chalo Re, with its verses “If they answer not to thy call walk alone” and “If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,” encourages the individual to persevere even in the absence of support.
Analogously, E gán thámibe ná proclaims: “This song will not end. This demand will not be silenced” and “Age after age, we have endured; But the limit of tolerance was breached.” Both compositions foresee a new dawn after adversity. In Tagore, overcoming loneliness is a personal challenge; in Sarkar, the rupture of the “limits of tolerance” with the “era of darkness” suggests a liberation from prolonged oppression.
The fundamental distinction lies in the emphasis on individualism versus collectivity. Ekla Chalo Re is markedly individual. The repetition of “walk alone,” the “Open thy mind and speak out alone,” and the “With the thundering flame of pain, light up your own heart, And let it burn alone” directs the hymn toward the action of a single subject, an “O thow unlucky one.” Although it is known that this song was a powerful incentive for determination during the Indian independence struggle, its lyrics concentrate on personal courage in the face of the absence of others’ support.
For a Western perspective, Tagore’s song, Ekla Chalo Re, can be interpreted as an invitation to an individual journey marked by strong spiritual determination. This inference is supported by the reading of authors like Singh (2010), who suggests possible layers of dialogue between the song and the kīrtan that would have preceded it. However, it is crucial to note that this is a complex and non-obvious analysis—maybe even for the Indian public—and cannot be sustained merely by the lyrics of the song Ekla Chalo Re.
On the other hand, Sarkar’s E gán thámibe ná, although it may have an individual sense of purpose, is infused with an evidently collective and forward-moving tone. Phrases like “This demand will not be silenced” and “Age after age, we have endured” suggest a shared struggle. The explicit mention of PROUT (“That is the mission of PROUT” unequivocally links the song to a broader philosophy of socioeconomic reform, shifting it from a mere individual action to an organized movement with a defined methodology. Even if one is unfamiliar with the “mission of PROUT,” there is a clear clue to seek a comprehensive understanding. Thus, it is noted that Sarkar’s artistic sensibility influences and is influenced by a type of knowledge and proposal of agency; there is an aesthetic epistemology.
In this way, Ekla Chalo Re is a directive for personal action in the face of isolation, while E gán thámibe ná is a declaration of a process that has reached a point of no return, announcing an “era of darkness” that will “soon fade” and points to a sense of unity, an effulgence, and a predominantly collective directive for action.
The nature of agency and voice in these Bengali gītas, especially in the context of the struggle against oppression, highlights a fundamental issue in the field of post-colonial studies. This distinction becomes crucial when considering the political context of post-independence India and, by extension, global power dynamics. The euphoria of liberation from the colonial yoke, which inspired songs like Tagore’s, did not always translate into the full emancipation of all voices. In this context, how can one not recall the intriguing question from Gayatri Spivak’s (2010) book of the same name: “Can the Subaltern Speak?”
By reflecting on the history of Indian women and the emulation of widows, Spivak addresses the intricate and unsettling place occupied by women in the post-colonial context. Recounting the story of Bhuvaneswari Bhaduri—a young woman whose rebellion was suppressed and whose name was erased from family and historical memory—Spivak exemplifies her argument that the subaltern—particularly the woman in this context—cannot speak, or, when she tries, does not find the means to be heard. Spivak’s critique questions agency as a form of institutionally validated action and the impossibility of articulating a discourse of resistance outside hegemonic discourses: “[…] what I consider useful is the sustained and developed work on the mechanics of the constitution of the Other” (Spivak, 2010, p. 83).
For her, the task of creating spaces for sociopolitical representation and questioning representational limits should also fall to intellectuals, especially the intellectual woman, requiring persistent critique and the attempt to reveal and (re)cognize the discourse of the other in society, interrogating her own complicity in intellectual work. In this sense, Spivak’s restlessness (at the end of her text, when she engages the agency of intellectual women) approaches Sarkar’s spirit of unity, which he formalizes as Sama-Samája Tattva.
This concept, the Principle of Social Equality, demands the active and gradual establishment of a society committed to the continuous overcoming of all inequalities, vehemently opposing the narrow social sentiments that Sarkar viewed as impediments to the inner and material progress of humanity. However, it is noted that it is precisely in the field of aesthetic and spiritual expression that Sarkar’s proposal offers a significant counterpoint to Spivak’s critique. Despite the complexity of subaltern silencing analyzed by Spivak, Sarkar’s gīta offers a distinct perspective. Far from being merely a theoretical reflection, Sarkar’s proposal with his song and his Neohumanist philosophy is an explicit invitation to a revolution—not primarily armed, but one of collective consciousness and action. Sarkar’s song E gán thámibe ná is not limited to giving voice to the subaltern; it summons them to take an active and transformative role. By expressing a universal call for social and economic justice through PROUT, for a Neohumanist love that transcends the human to embrace all existence, and for a spirituality that manifests in service to a collective, the song provides the means for the “spiritual and social subaltern” not only to speak but also to act actively and summon others to walk with them. The collectivity implicit in E gán thámibe ná, with its declaration that “This demand will not be silenced,” reflects the empowerment of a potent “we,” which refuses to be silenced and which, through inspired song and action, seeks to rewrite the narratives of oppression and neglect.
The relevance of these songs and their message is frighteningly current in the face of the wars, conflicts, and humanitarian crises plaguing the contemporary world. The persistence of violence, injustice, and marginalization echoes the “hot wilderness” and the “era of darkness” that the songs of Tagore and Sarkar, respectively, predicted.
In this scenario, Sarkar’s song, with its explicit call for a transformation that will no longer delay the “new dawn” (since, “on the eastern horizon the sunglow appears”; “the era of darkness is soon to fade”; or “after gloom, effulgence pervades”; “further delay will not be borne”), emerges as a source of hope and a guide for action. He does not offer magic solutions but incites the construction of a consciousness that recognizes the interconnection between individual and collective, the intrinsic value of every being (animate or not), and the urgent need for a just socioeconomic system (PROUT).
It is concluded, therefore, that Bengali popular music, through Rabindra Samgīta and, even more explicitly, through Sarkar’s Prabhat Samgīta, transcends the aesthetic domain to establish itself as a vehicle for philosophical and social agency. While Tagore, with Ekla Chalo Re, inspires the resistance of the individual in the face of isolation, Sarkar, with E gán thámibe ná, provides the directive and the vocabulary for collective action, founded on the Neohumanist philosophy. In response to Spivak’s critique about the impossibility of the subaltern speaking within hegemonic molds, Sarkar, in the song analyzed here and evidently in the philosophy that precedes and expresses itself in his vast musical work, demonstrates that the voice of the oppressed can find its authenticity and its agency through an aesthetic epistemology and a spiritual call that manifests in the struggle for global justice. Thus, the gītas of Sarkar and Tagore are more than a musical and philosophical legacy; they are also timeless voices. Finally, all three, Sarkar, Tagore, and Spivak, possess an agency-like discourse and, directly or indirectly, invite that call for the agency of the universal collective, inviting the planet society to a revolution of love and determination for unity and justice, elements that still resonate in these songs in the struggle for a more equitable and tender world.
Notes
1. Besides being a poet and musician, he is a translator, residing in California, USA. He studied biochemistry and music at the University of Berkeley and post-graduate studies at the University of Chicago. Founder of DunAnSINGH, Shivpreet. Blog. SINGH, 2010
2. Cf. Musical interpretation by Goshal, Shreya. 2025
3. If they answer not to thy call walk alone/ If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall/ O thou unlucky one/ Open thy mind and speak out alone// If no one answers your call/ Make a stride and walk alone/ When everyone is closed and shut/ Open your mind and speak alone. / Walk alone, walk alone, walk alone. Singh (2010) author’s translation. This excerpt from Tagore’s song was composed in Bengali and its English translation and its more modern English version were found on Shivpreet Singh’s blog.
4. Cf Musical interpretation by Amar Paul, Hari Naam Dyet Jagat Matale. 2025
5. Example: the translation of “Let it go,” single by Indina Menzel, Wornderland Music Company of Disney, 2014. This song became a success, mainly among girls aged 6 to 9. But, due to the repeated times it was sung, the song undoubtedly did not go unnoticed, even for adults without daughters of that age.
6. If no one answers your call/ Then walk alone/(be not afraid) walk alone my friend/ If no one talks to you/ O my unlucky friend, if no one speaks to you/ If everyone looks the other way and everyone is afraid/ Then bare your soul and let out what is in your mind/ (be not afraid) Speak alone my friend/ When dark clouds cover the sky, When darkness engulfs the truth/ When the world cowers and bows before fear, Be you the flame/ The flame that burns you and banishes darkness from the world/ (be not afraid) / Burn alone my friend (Google Translate translation)
7. This song will not end/ This demand will not be silenced./ A path that brings unity bright—That is the mission of PROUT./ Age after age, we have endured/ But the limit of tolerance was exceeded./ Nowadays, the wicked knit their brows/[but] The moralists are restless./ From the eastern horizon, the sun comes;/ The era of darkness will soon dissipate./ After gloom, light prevails;/ Further delays will not be tolerated. (author’s translation)
References
Goshal, Shreya. No description. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7IV9seX9OU Accessed on: Mar. 26, 2025.
Paul, Amar. No description. Hari Naam Dyet Jagat Matale. Available at: https://sonichits.com/video/Amar_Paul/Harinam_diye_jagat_matale Accessed on: Jul. 6, 2025.
Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan. Neohumanism: ecology, spirituality and mental expansion. São Paulo: Ananda Marga Publicações, 2001.
Sarkar, Prabhat Rainjan. A Few Probems Solved, vol I. Brasília, DF: Editora Ananda Marga, 2016.
Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan. Human Society part 1. Brasília: Editora Ananda Marga, 2010.
Singh, Shivpreet. Blog, Available at: https://www.shivpreetsingh.com/2010/11/walk-alone-rabindra-nath-tagore.html Accessed on: Mar. 26, 2025.
Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. Can the Subaltern Speak?. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 2010.