Jawhar Sircar is a Member of Parliament of India who represents the State of West Bengal. He was elected to the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, in August 2021. His speeches in parliament on the President’s Address and on the Union Budget for 2022-2023 have earned him regard as a hard-hitting public debater.
He is a member of important parliamentary bodies like the Joint Consultative Committee on Bio-Diversity Amendment Bill, the Standing Committee on Communications & Information Technology and the Consultative Committee of the Ministry or MSME.
He has served as an Indian Administrative Service officer for 41 years (1975 to 2016). After retirement, Sircar became totally involved with civil society in its constant opposition to right-wing political and governmental forces that encroach on liberty.
He has published numerous articles and research papers on cultural, historical and anthropological subjects for several years.
Latest Publication
‘Tero Parbaner Itikatha', published in February 2022, is a collection of Bangla essays that describe several interesting facets and anecdotes of Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals of India. It covers quaint customs and fascinating practices from around the country and the different Asian countries to which they were exported.
What strikes us that despite so many local differences and the uniquely regional flavour of each festival, especially the Hindu one, there is an underlying theme of ‘Unity in Diversity' that is so evident. This is a remarkable feature of the cultural fabric of India.
Over several centuries and through patient efforts, indigenous practices became seamlessly integrated within pan-Indian or brahminical customs to create a fluid interface. The worship of the divine mingled easily with carnivals and joyous festivities and even the primordial was not ever discarded.