The Kolkata Centre for Creativity hosted ‘Neel Darpan’, a workshop on the history of indigo cultivation in Bengal.
On February 14, while many celebrated love, the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) explored a different kind of passion — the love for textiles, history and the legacy of rebellion. In collaboration with Weavers Studio Resource Centre and The Teacher’s Centre, KCC hosted a unique academic workshop, ‘Neel Darpan’, which shed light on the history of indigo cultivation in Bengal and the Indigo Rebellion of 1859. The event highlighted how indigo, once a symbol of colonial exploitation, became a rallying point for resistance — deeply influencing literature, theatre and the social consciousness of Bengal.
Moderated by history enthusiasts and educators Amita Prasad (director, Manovikas Kendra) and Priyadarshinee Guha (associate VP, KCC), the session brought to life the stories of the indigo cultivators, their struggles and the historic revolt that changed the course of Bengal’s agrarian history. The discussion centered around Neel Darpan, Dinabandhu Mitra’s 1860 play, which exposed the brutal realities of British indigo planters and their exploitation of farmers.
“The exploitation kept happening, but what brought this into the limelight, that everyone got to know about it?” Prasad asked the audience. “Neel Darpan.” She explained that Mitra’s play was revolutionary for its time, as it was the first Indian play to be commercially staged, making the plight of farmers widely accessible. It was translated into English by Michael Madhusudan Dutt and published by Reverend James Long — an act that led to Long’s arrest, though Kaliprasanna Singha later paid a fine of Rs 1,000 to release him. The play struck such a chord with the public that audiences would throw stones at actors playing the exploitative British indigo merchants.
‘The farmers’ confidence was shattered by violent British suppression’
Prasad further elaborated on the economic and social oppression faced by the indigo cultivators, explaining how British landlords and zamindars forced them to grow indigo in exchange for a mere 2.5 per cent of its market value. Caught in a cycle of debt, many farmers became bonded laborers, unable to repay loans imposed upon them by the colonial system. “The Indigo Rebellion began in Nadia in 1859,” Prasad recounted. “Farmers simply refused to cultivate indigo anymore. But their confidence was shattered by violent British suppression.” The British feared another mass uprising, especially in the wake of the Revolt of 1857, and responded by introducing the Dramatic Performances Act in 1876 to curb the growing revolutionary sentiments sparked by Neel Darpan.
To make the historical discussion engaging, the workshop incorporated an interactive quiz, documentary screenings on the indigo-making process, and even a dramatic reading from the original Bengali text of Neel Darpan by Guha and Barsha Choudhury, a freelance theatre practitioner. “Did you know that Tollygunge Club used to be an indigo plantation site under the Johnson family?” Guha asked, surprising the audience with a lesser-known remnant of indigo’s history in Kolkata.
Benjamin Constanty, a research scholar from The University of Manchester, provided further historical insights by presenting vintage newspaper clippings from The Hindoo Patriot and The Friends of India, publications that documented the Indigo Revolt. He emphasised the growing role of the educated Indian middle class in spreading awareness, stating, “A growing trend was the middle class getting educated and then wanting to educate all of India, as they started working as lawyers, playwrights, writers, and so on.” He also drew connections between the Indigo Rebellion and the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917, highlighting how the principles of peasant resistance laid the groundwork for Gandhi’s movement.
‘Indigo has become very popular again as people are preferring natural dyes’
The discussion eventually shifted from history to indigo’s present-day significance. Textile artist and social entrepreneur Bappaditya Biswas, who has been working to revive indigo cultivation in Bengal, shared his experience of planting indigo seeds in a small plot of land in Nadia — more than 165 years after the rebellion. “The colour was just so dark! The Gangetic soil and humidity are just perfect. Now I understand why Bengal indigo was so highly prized,” he shared.
Weavers Studio Research Centre also curated an art installation of designer garments in indigo, featuring pieces from prominent designers, including Rohit Bal. Indigo’s resurgence in contemporary fashion, driven by a global shift toward sustainable and natural dyes, underscores its lasting relevance. “Indigo has become very popular again in the past few years as people from all over the world are preferring natural dyes more,” Guha noted. “India has been very sensible about it, as Bappa also mentioned. We at KCC are looking forward to more workshops. There’s so much more to explore.”
Reflecting on the success of the workshop, Prasad added, “I am a history lover and I put together the presentation for today, but it is actually the concept of Weavers Studio that made this possible. We wanted to connect textile and history, and I am glad that people loved it here today. Some even asked me to make this into a six-month course.”
The ‘Neel Darpan’ workshop was more than an academic exercise — it was a reminder of how history, literature and art can intertwine to keep alive the memory of resistance and resilience. Indigo’s past is filled with hardship, but its future shines bright, not just as a textile dye but as a symbol of India’s enduring cultural and historical legacy.
source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)