Banerjea, Surendranath (1848-1925) nationalist leader, was born
on 10 November, 1848 in a Kulin Brahmin family in Calcutta. Surendranath
Banerjea ingested modern liberal ideas from his father, Durga Charan
Banerjea, a medical practitioner, as well as from his schooling in the
Parental Academic Institution and the Hindu College. After graduating
from the University of Calcutta, he went to England to compete for the
Indian Civil Service. Though he cleared the examination in 1869, trouble
occurred over his exact age. After the settlement of the issue in a
law-court, he sat for the final examination in 1871, came out successful
and was posted at Sylhet as Assistant Magistrate. He was, however, soon
dismissed from service owing to racial discrimination and proceeded
to England to challenge the dismissal order. His entire endeavour went
in vain. During this stay in London in 1874-75, he made an intensive
study of the writings of Burke, Mazzini and other liberal thinkers of
the West.
On his return to India, Surendranath took up the teaching profession.
He became a Professor of English, first in the Metropolitan Institution,
then in the Free Church College and finally in his brain-child,
the Ripon College. As a teacher, he inspired his students with
a new spirit of nascent Indian nationalism. At this time, he also
began to deliver public speeches in and outside Calcutta on topics
like 'Indian unity', 'life and thought of Mazzini' and 'the history
of Shivaji and the Sikhs' etc.
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Surendranath
Banerjea |
His eloquence made a great impact on the Indian mind,
which had already been stirred by the early 19th century socio-religious
reform movements. But now Surendranath deflected their mind from social
reformation to political regeneration. This was Surendranathunique contribution
to the national cause of India.
Surendranath aroused the spirit of nationalism, and endeavoured
to give it a tangible shape by forming the indian
Association on 26 July 1876. He took up the cause of reducing
the age-limit of ICS examinees, the common grievance of the English-educated
Indians against the Raj, and for this he made an extensive propaganda
tour all-over India. These tours gave him an enormous popularity. 'Hartal'
was observed all over Bengal when he was sentenced to imprisonment on
a charge of contempt of court for remarks made by him in his paper, the
Bengali. It ignited the political consciousness of the masses.
Even public meetings of protest were held in Agra, Fyzabad, Amritsar,
Lahore, Poona and several other places.
From 1883, under Surendranath's leadership, the Indian
Association conducted annual conferences where hundreds of delegates from
different parts of India participated. But in 1886 Surendranath led the
Indian Association to its merger with the indian
national congress during the latter's second session in Calcutta.
Henceforth, he played a leading role in the Congress and twice became
its President, in 1895 and 1907.
Surendranath's unique leadership style was clearly demonstrated
during the agitation against the partition
of bengal, 1905 and the swadeshi
movement which made him the 'uncrowned king' of Bengal. He
was now at the zenith of his political career, but soon the decline started.
The tussle between the Moderates and the Extremists within the Congress
led to the steady decline of the Moderates of which Surendranath was an
important member. Moderates gradually faded as the formation of Home Rule
League and the emergence of Gandhi brought the people of India into a
new political scenario. He supported the reforms enunciated by the Act
of 1919 and accepted the portfolio of a minister, and thereby lost much
of his popularity. It is, however, to be asserted that whatever authority
the people got in local self-government resulted from his endeavour. He
was knighted by the government. All his actions did not receive popular
approval and he failed to get elected to the Bengal Legislative Council
in the 1923 general election. Soon after he retired from active politics.
He is remembered for his commendable work, A Nation
in Making, published in 1925. He breathed his last on 6 August
1925. [Ranjit Roy]
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