A short essay on Vidyasagar under 100 words
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Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar (September 1820 – July 1891) played a prominent and vital role in Bengal Renaissance.
He was a moderate reformer. The Bengal Renaissance took a new shape due to the towering and integrated personality of Vidyasagar.
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was a humanist who dedicated his life to the cause of his countrymen. But he was a rational and intellectual humanist. He was a very kind and liberal-hearted man.
He was also a true nationalist. He advocated individual liberty and liberty of the press. He was a staunch fighter for the rights and honour of women. He had great respect and compassion for women. He was a genius and a man of heroic and un-parallel character. He was only his own example. He was the true representative of the Renaissance spirit.
Michael Madhusudan Dutta has rightly observed:
“You are the greatest Bengali that ever lived.”
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was a celebrated social and educational reformer. He started a social crusade for the oppressed. He felt for them. Women’s emancipation was the cherished mission of his life. He was against child marriage and polygamy, and an ardent advocate of widow-remarriage.
This was vehemently opposed by the conservatives. He cited “Shastras” particularly “Parasarsanghita” and “Manusanghita” in support of widow remarriage, which was legalized in 1856. Thus Vidyasagar rendered manifold humanitarian services.
Though Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was a regular classical scholar, he educated himself in English and came to represent a fine blend of Eastern and Western culture. He embraced Western education and science. He had synthetic view of life and education.
Thus Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar bridged the gap between Rammohun and Rabindranath. He was a celebrated educational reformer. He invented a new and simple technique of learning Sanskrit. He wrote two books on Sanskrit Grammar in Bengali Language (Samagra Byakaran Kaumudi and Upakramonika). He was an efficient translator. He translated many English and Sanskrit books into Bengali (Sakuntala, Sitar Banabas, Vrantibilas etc.).
Both Kalidas and Shakespeare were his favorite poets. He also rendered pioneering service in writing school text books. In Bengali prose, his work was landmark. He introduced a new and unique style of Bengali prose. In the words of Rabindranath “Vidyasagar is the first real artist of Bengali prose.” In his hands Bengali language became simple, lucid, lively and dynamic. His Bengali primer (Varnaparichaya) is even today of household use.
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was a practical educational reformer. He set up many educational institutions. It was due to his untiring zeal and constant effort the Metropolitan School and College (now Vidyasagar College) came into being. He championed the cause of mother-tongue as the medium of instruction. He set up as many as 20 Bengali medium model schools for boys.
He strongly advocated teacher-training and established five Normal Schools in Calcutta for the purpose. He opened the gates of the Sanskrit College for non-Brahmin boys. He introduced English classes in the Sanskrit College so that classical scholars might have some English education. He was dead against corporal punishment as un-psychological. He introduced summer vacation and Sundays as holidays.
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was an ardent advocate of non-official, secular and national education with national curricula, national teachers and national control. He was the promoter of the 3-Language Formula such as Bengali, Sanskrit and English.
Rabindranath had rightly described him as the first “Sikshaguru” of Bengal. Vidyasagar was a staunch supporter and promoter of women’s education. Women’s emancipation was the cherished mission of his life as we have remarked earlier. He even advocated higher education for women.
He was intimately connected with the Bethune Society and Bethune School which, in course of time, became the Bethune College after the name of its first founder. This institution has rendered splendid service in the spread of women education in eastern India.
Vidyasagar was its Secretary for some time and proved himself as an efficient educational organizer. He spent lavishly for the promotion of women’s education in Bengal. He set up 35 girls’ schools in the districts of Burdwan, Hoogly, Midnapore and Nadia.
It was a difficult task in those days, particularly in the context of strong opposition against women’s education. It was said in those days that husbands of educated women are sure to face mortality. He keenly felt that, like sons, daughters should also be educated (Kanyapebang Palaniya Sikshniayti Jatnatu).
In the field of journalism Vidyasagar has also made significant contribution. He was the editor of the famous journal of the time — “Somprokash”. He was intimately connected with the publication of the “Tattabodhini” and the “Hindu Patriot” edited by Akshoy Kumar Dutta and Harish Mukherjee, respectively.