That Raja Ram Mohan Roy had objected to the organising of Sanskrit College as a result of he believed training needs to be Western, and that it was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the daddy of the trendy Bengali alphabet, who insisted that English be taught in that school — these are among the lesser-known info that emerged through the translation of a e-book containing the historical past of the establishment that’s finishing 200 years.
Established in 1824, now often known as Sanskrit College and University, the establishment turns two centuries previous on February 25, when year-long occasions will start in celebration. One of the actions undertaken to mark the bicentenary is the interpretation into English of the 2 volumes of Kolikata Sanskrit College-er Itihas (‘History of Kolkata’s Sanskrit College’) Part 1 authored by Brajendranath Bandyopadhyay, and Part 2 by Gopikamohun Bhattacharya.
“We associate Sanskrit College with traditional knowledge systems, but forget that for many years, English was considered an essential subject to be learnt by the scholars in this institution,” Samata Biswas, the English Professor answerable for the interpretation, mentioned.
“I became interested in the history of English in Sanskrit College through these volumes, and I found these interesting facts — Ram Mohan Roy’s objection to the setting up of the Sanskrit College and Vidyasagar’s restructuring of the English syllabus as far back as in 1853 when, as the Principal, he made it a compulsory subject,” Dr. Biswas mentioned.
“Vidyasagar’s reform of the English curriculum was instituted to give the students of Sanskrit College an exposure in European systems of thought, and thereby discover the unity in different philosophical traditions. Today, students from different Humanities disciplines are also expected to study across cultures, hence Vidyasagar’s reforms were truly centuries ahead of their time,” she mentioned.
As for Ram Mohan Roy’s objection to the organising of the establishment, his letter to Lord Amherst options not solely within the e-book being translated however can be now in public area. “We now find that the Government are establishing a Sangscrit (sic) School under Hindoo Pundits to impart such knowledge as is already current in India. This seminary (similar in character to those which existed in Europe before the time of Lord Bacon) can only be expected to load the minds of youth with grammatical niceties and metaphysical distinctions of little or no practicable use to the possessors or to society,” he wrote in December 1823, shortly earlier than the muse stone was laid.
Dr. Biswas spoke of a few of her uncommon findings. “Then there were instances I came across [during the translation] that I found inspirational. Vidyasagar and Prashanta Kumar Sarbadhikary [initially Professor of English and later Principal) both resigned from their jobs citing interference with their administrative and academic insight and integrity. Prashanta Kumar was later persuaded to rejoin the institution. This is a rarest of rare occurrences today, when education is seen more as a commodity and less as an autonomous domain of dedicated teachers, students and administrators who were willing to forego their personal economic fortunes to stand for what they believed in,” Professor Biswas mentioned.
Source: www.thehindu.com
