“Ajax”

“ Finally, Babu Ramananda beats his splendid record by alleging that I admitted that the “University is controlled by vested interests and cliques.” All that I did was to express my agreement with a general principle that cliques should have no control over the University and I still adhere to it. Every democracy is ruled by a small executive with the support of the elected representatives of the people. ”

“ He says that owing to a steady lowering of the standard of examination our students have failed to do well in the competitive examinations because the notes dictated by our lecturers are of no use in those examinations. Every teacher has his own individual method and notes are dictated even by the great critic himself, only—he writes them on the Black Board,—and a few years ago, typewritten copies of these notes could be purchased at Calcutta. It is also within the memory of many that the Calcutta University found it necessary to take notice of this fact. ”

“ It is really amusing that Babu Ramananda claims credit for making known the achievements of the abler teachers of the University. Every shrewd Editor has to advertise the achievements of his reviewers and contributors particularly when they are not paid. ”

“ But if we accept whole-heartedly the principle laid down by our contemporary (which indeed we ourselves have always advocated) we cannot accept its dictum that the University is run for the benefit of numerous worthless people. As a result of frequent migration our staff has now reached the irreducible minimum. Most of our lecturers are first class men with some original work and previous teaching experience to their credit. ”

“ Babu Ramananda’s contempt for masked men is amusing indeed. He has long enjoyed the company and confidence of Viueve, Inside View, A. B. C., Apollonius Bengalensis and Kalapahar. He has helped these men with their masks and once he forced one upon an unfortunate victim. After a masked man had made an attack on M. K. G. son of J.C.G., the latter sent a signed contradiction for publication in the Modern Review. Mr. J. C. G. says that he gave his full name and address, but the pious and honest Editor of the Review forced a transparent mask upon him without consulting his wish or convenience. ”

“ The Modern Review is never tired of proclaiming the inefficiency of our teachers but when the same teachers find more lucrative appointments elsewhere the Prabasi complains that the University cannot retain the services of their abler teachers (e.g. the case of M. K. G., son of J.C.G., to use the apparently enigmatical language of our contemporary) . We. have not yet received any comprehensive scheme from the Modern Review or its expert Professor Jadunath Sarkar. The Modern Review made strictures against individual lecturers about which there is room for honest difference ”

“ My article was originally intended for the editorial columns of the Calcutta Review, but as the Board of Editors had no time to examine it, it was published as a contributed article. Lack of time did not permit any change in the heading or language of the article. Babu Ramananda boastfully declares : “As our contributors have not been dragooned into saying exactly what the editor desires there is naturally some diversity in their opinions” and further he pretends to believe that “even those who flatly contradict us may be wholly or at least partly right.” ”

“ The Treasurer of the Leeds University is planning to raise about 15,000,000 rupees to build new buildings alone. Rabindranath Tagore, appealing to all India, has not yet secured a few lakhs of rupees for the Viswa-Bharati—the International University. No nation can ever become great without increasing its national efficiency. India needs new and better Universities and a better educational system. ”

“ But there cannot be any justification for a University to throw away money on a magazine which makes the publication of serial stories and other kinds of light literature and commonplace popular illustrations some of its main features. ”

“ However, we shall try to answer our contemporary’s friendly criticism as best as we can. The Modern Review complains
“The defenders of the University have always been discreetly silent where our criticism was unanswerable and have sometimes made a parade of the strength of their arguments where the information of critics has been deficient. ”

“ In the present issue, the Modern Review has several notes on University affairs. What our contemporary really advocates it is very difficult for us to say. At one place it writes
In area, England is much smaller than Bengal; and the population of the British Isles is not greater than that of Bengal. England has many first class Universities and yet new Universities are being founded there. In India, particularly in Bengal, the Universities are starving. The Calcutta University cannot carry on the work of the Post-graduate Department effectively ”

“ Nothing hurts so much as inconvenient and unpalatable truth; even a melancholy puritan brooding over the evils of the Calcutta University cannot be indifferent to it. “What is mere sport for immortal gods is sin for an ordinary mortal”, says a Bengali proverb. Babu Ramananda protests with becoming severity that he is not a superman, but evidently he claims the privileges of immortal gods, for he will have one law for himself and another law for others. He will not accept responsibility for the editorial notes published in the editorial columns signed by T. D. and A. C., but he holds Dr. ”

“ Masks do not necessarily hide sinister motives. If the highwayman wears a mask, a harmless Pierrot or a Columbine also finds it useful. My readers must have perceived that I am nothing but an innocent Pierrot out for a little fun and amusement which the frailty of some grey-headed and grey-bearded persons sometimes affords. ”

“ The published works of our lecturers have earned the encomiums of competent critics but, as we have already said, a sneer cannot be answered and here again we come across one of those numerous criticisms that our contemporary considers unanswerable. ”

“ This can be secured through the enlighted patriotism of the people, particularly of the rich, who can better afford to spend regularly at least a part of their income for the cause of national education. ”

“ But he works in a wonderful place, away from his office and library where he can easily place his hand on the back numbers of the Calcutta Review, but where the back numbers of the Prabasi are not available. He triumphantly quotes from an announcement “that short stories, poems, portraits and cartoons besides articles of general interest, and fine Indian paintings will be a special attraction.” ”