PROGRESS EDITORIAL
In the year 1905, the British Government was determined to crack down on the students. So, the Govt. adopted repressive measures against them in various parts of Bengal. By issuing a 'Bande Mataram Circular' the Govt. tried to quieten the shouting of 'Bande Mataram' in the streets or elsewhere in the interests of public peace. Holding of political or quasi-political meetings in public places was also banned. But it did not succeed in unnerving the students. They faced the situation with greater courage. Nearly ten thousand young men attended a students' rally held at the College Square, Kolkata on Nov 11,1905. In that meeting one of the speakers Bipin Pal 'asked the students to leave the Calcutta University at once'. As an alternative arrangement they discussed 'the immediate need for establishing a National University'. In response to this earnestness an Education Conference was held on Nov 16, 1905.All the prominent leaders of Bengal attended this conference viz. Subodh Chandra Mallick, Rabindranath Tagore, Gurudas Banerjee, C.R.Das, Satish Chandra Mukherjee, Rasbehari Ghosh, Surendranath Banerjea. After a prolonged discussion the members of the conference adopted a resolution that it is desirable and necessary to establish a National Council of Education to organise an alternative system of education --- literary, scientific and technical;based on national lines and under national control. So the National College & School started its journey on August 15, 1906 on Sri Aurobindo's 34th birthday. The premises of 191/1, Bowbazar Street, Kolkata was taken on lease at the rent of Rs. 200 per month. The National College worked there till June, 1907. Sri Aurobindo was the principal and Satish Chandra Mukherjee was the superintendent of the college. They along with Radhakumud Mukherjee and Prasanna Kumar Basu were in charge of taking the classes of Economics and Political Science. As long Sri Aurobindo was the principal of the college he used to take 10 hours of classes per week regularly, generally between 2p.m. to 4p.m. He mainly taught English poems and Indian & European History. On 16th April, 1907 Sri Aurobindo wrote in an article published in the Bandemataram --- "No year of the new century has been more full of events than 1906-07....". In this article Sri Aurobindo mentioned the advancement of national educational revolution by saying --- "The Bengal National College has not only became an established fact but is rapidly increasing in numbers and has begun to build the foundations of a better system of education." Today is 15th August, 2006 and we are celebrating the Centenary of this occasion in the same house --- 191/1, Bowbazar Street, Kolkata. Our prayer to the Lord is that "Make us worthy of this work".
In the year 1905, the British Government was determined to crack down on the students. So, the Govt. adopted repressive measures against them in various parts of Bengal. By issuing a 'Bande Mataram Circular' the Govt. tried to quieten the shouting of 'Bande Mataram' in the streets or elsewhere in the interests of public peace. Holding of political or quasi-political meetings in public places was also banned. But it did not succeed in unnerving the students. They faced the situation with greater courage. Nearly ten thousand young men attended a students' rally held at the College Square, Kolkata on Nov 11,1905. In that meeting one of the speakers Bipin Pal 'asked the students to leave the Calcutta University at once'. As an alternative arrangement they discussed 'the immediate need for establishing a National University'. In response to this earnestness an Education Conference was held on Nov 16, 1905.All the prominent leaders of Bengal attended this conference viz. Subodh Chandra Mallick, Rabindranath Tagore, Gurudas Banerjee, C.R.Das, Satish Chandra Mukherjee, Rasbehari Ghosh, Surendranath Banerjea. After a prolonged discussion the members of the conference adopted a resolution that it is desirable and necessary to establish a National Council of Education to organise an alternative system of education --- literary, scientific and technical;based on national lines and under national control. So the National College & School started its journey on August 15, 1906 on Sri Aurobindo's 34th birthday. The premises of 191/1, Bowbazar Street, Kolkata was taken on lease at the rent of Rs. 200 per month. The National College worked there till June, 1907. Sri Aurobindo was the principal and Satish Chandra Mukherjee was the superintendent of the college. They along with Radhakumud Mukherjee and Prasanna Kumar Basu were in charge of taking the classes of Economics and Political Science. As long Sri Aurobindo was the principal of the college he used to take 10 hours of classes per week regularly, generally between 2p.m. to 4p.m. He mainly taught English poems and Indian & European History. On 16th April, 1907 Sri Aurobindo wrote in an article published in the Bandemataram --- "No year of the new century has been more full of events than 1906-07....". In this article Sri Aurobindo mentioned the advancement of national educational revolution by saying --- "The Bengal National College has not only became an established fact but is rapidly increasing in numbers and has begun to build the foundations of a better system of education." Today is 15th August, 2006 and we are celebrating the Centenary of this occasion in the same house --- 191/1, Bowbazar Street, Kolkata. Our prayer to the Lord is that "Make us worthy of this work".
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