|
The Hindu School Kolkata is one of the most revered school in the city and boasts of a star alumni who have been elemental in the development and enrichment of the Bengali society. This band includes leading politicians, social reformers, litterateurs, artists and much more who remained proud of the school lifelong while equally making Hindu School proud of them. Below is a list of some of the most prominent students of the school. However, such a list is too exhaustive and we regret the inability to accommodate all the famous names that comes to your mind in this list.
Prasanna Coomar Tagore (1801-1868)- Son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College, Prasanna Coomar was one of the leaders of the conservative branch of Hindu society. However, he had participated in Raja Rammohun Roy’s campaign for the abolition of sati and was actively involved in setting up the Landholder's Association and the British Indian Association of which he became president. A prominent educationist and social reformer, he established the Hindu Theatre in 1831. As the spokesman of the landholders, he opposed the Sepoy Mutiny on principle and the British government bestowed the title of CSI on him in 1866. His writings include “An Appeal to Countrymen” and “Table of Succession” according to Hindu Law of Bengal.
Ramtanu Lahiri (1813-1898)- a dedicated follower of Derozio, a renowned teacher and a social reformer. Peary Chand Mitra wrote about him, “There are few persons in whom the milk of kindness flows so abundantly. He was never wanting in appreciation of what was right, and in his sympathy with the advanced principles.”
Born in a high kulin Brahmin family of Krishnanagar, Nadia, and educated at Hindu College, Ramtanu
Lahiri was one of those educators and intellectuals who paved the way for various reform movements in Bengal in the 19th century. Influenced by Rammohun Roy, Lahiri renounced Hinduism and adopted Brahmo as his religion which led to widespread displeasure among the conservative Hindu Pandits and exposed him to much humiliatin and mistreatment. However, disciples held him in high esteem. One of them, Pundit Shibnath Shastri, commemorated his guru by naming his famous social commentaries, “Ramtanu Lahiri O Tatkalin Banga Samaj” (1904), after him. Ramtanu made significant contributions to the expansion of Brahmoism. By his learning, dedication and regenerative outlook and guidance, he created a generation of students who subsequently made great contributions in the fields of education, politics, journalism and other professions.
Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherji (1814-1878)- Editor and social worker, was born in 1814 in Kolkata. He studied at Hindu College and was a prominent member of the Young Bengal Group.
While still a student, he edited the journal Jnananvesan (1831). Subsequently he edited Bharat Patrika and Samachar Hindustani. He used to contribute regularly to the Bengal Spectator. He used his oratory to oppose the government laws directed towards suppressing the voice of the press. Notably, he was the first Indian collector of Calcutta Municipality and also served as Diwaan to the Nawab Nazim of Murshidabad and deputy collector to the Raja of Burdwan. Dakshinaranjan was one of the founders of the Bengal British India Society (1843). In 1849 he donated land to John Eliot Drinkwater Bethune to establish Bethune Girls School as the first girls' school at Kolkata, and thereafter assisted in its establishment in various ways. He supported the British in 1857 and as a reward, he was granted the Sankarpur taluk of Rai Bareily in 1859 by Lord Canning. In 1871 Lord Mayo awarded him the title of 'Raja'. Dakshinaranjan died on 15 July 1878 in Lucknow.
Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883)- Writer, journalist, cultural activist and entrepreneur. Peary Chand studied at home, learning Bengali and PERSIAN with a pundit and a munshi respectively. He entered Hindu College in 1827 and studied under Henry Derozio. The organisations he was actively associated with were Association of General Knowledge (1830), Bengal British India Society (1843), David Hare Memorial Society (1844). To posterity, however, Peary Chand Mitra is particularly known for his contribution to the development of journalism and Bengali literature. He was a regular contributor to the “Englishman”, “Indian Field”, “Hindu Patriot”, “Friend of India” and “Bengal Spectator”. The greatest literary contribution of Peary Chand was Alaler Gharer Dulal, hailed as the first Bengali novel. The book set a new trend in Bengali literature regarding prose style and diction with Peary Chand breaking away from the traditional (formal) prose style to use colloquial Bengali instead, the living language of the people.
Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherji (1814-1878)- Editor and social worker, was born in 1814 in Kolkata. He studied at Hindu College and was a prominent member of the Young Bengal Group.
While still a student, he edited the journal Jnananvesan (1831). Subsequently he edited Bharat Patrika and Samachar Hindustani. He used to contribute regularly to the Bengal Spectator. He used his oratory to oppose the government laws directed towards suppressing the voice of the press. Notably, he was the first Indian collector of Calcutta Municipality and also served as Diwaan to the Nawab Nazim of Murshidabad and deputy collector to the Raja of Burdwan. Dakshinaranjan was one of the founders of the Bengal British India Society (1843). In 1849 he donated land to John Eliot Drinkwater Bethune to establish Bethune Girls School as the first girls' school at Kolkata, and thereafter assisted in its establishment in various ways. He supported the British in 1857 and as a reward, he was granted the Sankarpur taluk of Rai Bareily in 1859 by Lord Canning. In 1871 Lord Mayo awarded him the title of 'Raja'. Dakshinaranjan died on 15 July 1878 in Lucknow.
Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883)- Writer, journalist, cultural activist and entrepreneur. Peary Chand studied at home, learning Bengali and PERSIAN with a pundit and a munshi respectively. He entered Hindu College in 1827 and studied under Henry Derozio. The organisations he was actively associated with were Association of General Knowledge (1830), Bengal British India Society (1843), David Hare Memorial Society (1844). To posterity, however, Peary Chand Mitra is particularly known for his contribution to the development of journalism and Bengali literature. He was a regular contributor to the “Englishman”, “Indian Field”, “Hindu Patriot”, “Friend of India” and “Bengal Spectator”. The greatest literary contribution of Peary Chand was Alaler Gharer Dulal, hailed as the first Bengali novel. The book set a new trend in Bengali literature regarding prose style and diction with Peary Chand breaking away from the traditional (formal) prose style to use colloquial Bengali instead, the living language of the people.
|
|
