“AS GOODNESS PURE, AS GLORY BRIGHT” *
"ভেঙেছ দুয়ার, এসেছ জ্যোতির্ময়, তোমারি হউক জয়।
তিমিরবিদার উদার অভ্যুদয়, তোমারি হউক জয়।।'
[O auspicious light! You have
broken the barrier of adversities! Hail to thee!
Thy dazzling appearance has
removed all darkness, O noble one! Hail to thee!] **
-Rabindranath Tagore
On the eighteenth & early nineteenth century, when
Bengal as well as India was under numerous sufferings named illiteracy, caste
problem & cruel customs, when lots of blind superstitions chained our
country in the false name of religion, heartless activities frequently took
place on the sore breast of India; a dazzling sunbeam appeared suddenly within
that utter darkness, appeared on deprived mother-India’s lap, in order to
remove her sorrow. That blessed boy himself had arrived to this earth as a holy
light, he spread his light to everyone whoever came to his contact. That light
was the unique to recover all the worst situations, to remove all kind of
darkness, & it is EDUCATION!
Yes, education, true education, the backbone of every
nation, which does not mean merely a degree or a mark sheet, which can make a
true human being, without which people can never be civilized! Without which
people can never understand whether they are right or wrong! This education is
the light which can kill all darkness! Taking the form of a teacher, that noble
boy radiated this light for welfare of mankind.
Dear reader! Can you recognize who this glorious teacher
is?
He was the young Preceptor of youth who initiated a new era
for his countrymen! He was the fearless teacher who appeared within darkness,
& guided his students towards the path of truth with the light of his own
breast’s fire! He was Mr. Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, the fiery boy of Bengal, the
heroic child of distressed India, having the golden heart where India’s pain
strike so much that it bled into first national poetry of our country!
He is my Guru. How can I introduce him? If you have a
problem to make an idea about him, just try to think of a suitable combination
of rigidness of steel in own beliefs, purity of burn gold in fearless love for
truth, light of Heaven in human welfare, & sweet fragrance of flower in childish
loving nature! Is it so easy to think of such a combination? Certainly not! But
he was exactly this! Rigid against all inhumane things & soft towards all
beauties of earth!
Who will not be
interested to learn about such a noble life! But his loving pupils, who could
tell his story most properly & most respectfully, are no more with us! Many
researchers had already published his biography & his works, still being
his follower; I am trying to narrate his life in front of this modern era once again.
Though I am nothing compared to his famous disciples, I will feel blessed if I
can play their role in this era by spreading their master’s name & lessons
everywhere.
Offering my earnest respect & salute to the feet of
this great teacher, & seeking his blessings, I am starting his biography.
WHY SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT HENRY DEROZIO’S LIFE?
“The
teacher who chiefly influenced the young men was Mr. Derozio, who though
branded by the clergy as an infidel and as a devil of the Thomas Paine
School
-Max Muller
Who was he? It’s impossible to answer in one word. He was
such a wise that he could remove the darkness of ignorance from his student’s
minds with the light of his own knowledge! He had such a loving &
attractive personality that his students could never forget his lessons in
their entire life! He was such a truthful person that never allowed his pupils
to agree with anything without true judgment! He was that free thinker who
initiated the renaissance of nineteenth century, in spite of being a man of
mixed Portuguese descendant; he was the very first voice who could address India
He was a true patriot; & one of the freedom-fighters of
nineteenth century India when the East India Company was ruling our country.
One may argue with the fact that in that era of East India Company’s rule,
there was no freedom movement in India. But this is not the fact. Yes, it’s
very true that direct battles never took place between Indians & Europeans
at that time, but how can we forget that internal but seriously strong battle
of liberals against orthodoxy? How can we neglect that new enlightenment which
is called ‘Renaissance’? No, we can’t! Those pioneers of Renaissance fought for
freedom of thoughts, freedom of activities, which only can raise humanity. This
freedom of human mind was urgently essential in that situation in order to make
the way of national freedom afterwards. Social freedom is always, the primary
step of national freedom. Derozio realized it, & dedicated himself for his
country’s welfare. All activities performed by him were tied in a single
thread, & that was patriotism! In his fight for freedom of society, he used
the most genuine & unique weapon which can never be defeated! It is
EDUCATION! The sword of wisdom unsheathed by Derozio emerged demolishing the
heart of utter darkness. In that era when knowledge was used only for finding a
job of good salary, he connected education with life & changed its
definition. He was the first teacher in modern India who could make ideal human
beings instead of mere money-making machines.
Derozio made Hindu College (the present Presidency
University, glory of Bengal!) the centre of Renaissance. Here he burned the
fire of thought-radicalism, with whose touch the orthodox Hindu society became
shocked from their top to bottom. They forcefully expelled him from the College
to which he gave a new life. But his eligible representatives, his beloved
students, could not be separated from their ideals. Derozio’s theoretical
lessons of human welfare found its practical form within his follower’s
activities.
Unfortunately, present generation of India
I think, & I believe, if we can obey Mr. Derozio as our Guru,
& can absorb even only one side of this multi-faceted personality, we will
be blessed! He saw India India India India
So, we should read his life & should apply his lessons
in our lives. I am here to narrate him once again, so that he can influence the
present generation too. My intention of writing Mr. Derozio’s biography will be
fulfilled if I can proudly say him in his very own words,
“Nations
unborn shall venerate thy name”!
Well then, dear reader, let’s
enter into that noble life!
*This line is quoted from a poetry written by Derozio
himself named as “Lines on the Unfortunate Death of Henry Neele, Esq.”
** My translation. All the Bengali quotes in the whole Blog
are translated by me except otherwise mentioned.
