BEGINNING

“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, was worshipped by his pupils as the incarnation of goodness and kindness."  

                                                   -Max Muller  

 I am feeling honored to start drawing a brief sketch of the life of this great personality of India, & in spite of being too little to realize his idealism, I gather courage to write on him only with the believe that the kind & loving teacher will affectionately forgive all my faults!

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 as “My country!” with an ardent patriotism! He was that philanthropist poet who cried for the distress not only of his country & countrymen but of all unhappy & chained mankind! He was that true man who never feared to say the truth, never feared to protest against injustice! Above all, he was a young boy who have taught us how powerful youth is!

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 has forgotten this versatile genius & huge personality! I wonder how it becomes possible! But it’s entirely our fault that we fail to follow his lessons which can still show us the right way of life.

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’s chain, & wanted heartily his country’s freedom. Though India is now free from foreign rulers, she is still suffering lots of bondages from many aspects. A major part of India’s society is still under darkness of meaningless superstitions, ignorance & illiteracy. The educational field is also suffering with the lack of free knowledge & free thinking; education is merely the way of earning money now, not more than this! We can’t even imagine how hurting Derozio’s immortal soul is watching this present condition of India! If we can be influenced with his patriotism, perhaps we will be able to make our country flourished in all fields! If we can revive his process of teaching, it may enlighten us with a true knowledge with which student will be an honest & perfect human being, who is something more that a degree-holder! And last but not the least, if we read his life we can see how leading & efficient youth is! He did all these things within the age twenty-two only!

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.