‘There is no birth and no death,
Only the soul keeps seeking
new levels of truth,
High, higher and still higher.
Above words were articulated by the famed educationist Shri Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, the father of Sarojini Naidu, a prominent female figure who played a significant role in the freedom movement of India. So significant that if we scan any old news photograph of squatting Gandhiji the most likely chance is that you will catch the sight of a lady sitting nearby in the background, peering at him with an amused expression on her face because to her Gandhi looked like human Micky Mouse. That face should be none other than Sarojini Naidu.
Such was the camaraderie between Gandhi and Sarojini which signifies the extent of her contribution to the independence movement which liberated the country from the yoke of the colonial rule.
But here we must first know more about the father Aghornath Chattopadhyaya who was responsible for shaping up a fiercely poetic mind in his daughter that could not be overawed by even a mighty reputation like Gandhi. The educationist father had admirably passed over his philosophy to his offspring.
The childhood of Aghornath was spent in Brahmnagar, his ancestral village situated in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The village offered a magnificent view of the river Brahmaputra jostling into the sea waters of the Bay of Bengal. It was here that young Aghor learnt the family customs and traditions besides a number of family lores.
It is believed that Aghor used to watch the union of Brahmaputra and the sea water for hours lost in romantic fascination. The view overawed the adolescent mind.
One day a 14 year old Aghor sighted a 9 year old girl rowing her boat in the river. Something about that girl touched his heart. He stared on bewitched by that innocent sight. That girl later on became his girl friend and the relationship deepened into marital union.
Aghornath’s childhood suffered in poverty. His family was very poor. The boy saw his salvation in education. With firm determination he battled through poverty learning and studying mostly on his own.
The hard work and persistence kept propelling him through various levels of education.
The day came when he reached the Calcutta University. The poverty kept him company ever trying to pull him back or push him down.
Aghornath could not afford books. So, he would borrow books from his friends and the classmates when they were not studying. For reading books he often had to sit under the street lamp post because the books were spared for the nights only mostly. They had to be returned in the early morning.
In addition to the studies young Aghornath had to do odd jobs to earn money for food and the writing material.
In such trying conditions how much he had laboured academically can be guessed from the fact that he became a scholar in French, German, Hibru, Greek and Russian languages besides the English. It was amazing what a determined learner could achieve.
The academic world was so impressed with his learning capabilities and dedication that he was awarded Gilchrist Scholarship which enabled him to go to England for the advanced studies. He carried on his education crusade and earned a degree in physics from Edinberra University. At the same time he won Webster and Hope distinctions in Chemistry.
Aghornath Chattopadhyaya was the first Indian to earn a western university doctorate in Science.
From England he moved to Bonn (Germany). There, he interacted with the German scientists and the researchers proving to them that Indians too had scientific mind contrary to the British propaganda that Indians were merely a mob of barbaric snake charmers and monkey jugglers. Although the poor image of Indians was so strongly etched in the minds of the Europeans that it was impossible to change.
But he did prove that Indian society too threw up exceptions. Indian society also had scientific dimension, the aliens had to accept.
Then he returned to India and began to serve the country as an educationist and a teacher.
Aghornath had already married the beloved whom he had seen boating as a 14 year old. Her name was Varda Sundari Devi. She also had an educated mind who agreed with her husband that the country badly needed the spread of education. Both worked in that direction with a missionary zeal.
In 1878 Aghornath Chattopadhyaya was appointed as teacher in Hyderabad School. He made a fast progress to become the founder principal of New Hyderabad College.
Later, this college became famous as Nizam College. With the help of his wife Varda and some friends he founded a women’s college which later attained fame as Usmania University.
It was Aghornath’s tribute to his wife for her role in his life. She was his adolescent fantasy, teenage puppy love, beloved wife and inspiration.
Once Sarojini wrote to Arthur Simon, a well known author and critic—‘My father was a great visionary, a great scholar and a saintly person. A visionary and great soul whose life was gloriously successful. I think there are a very few people in India whose knowledge is greater than that of my father and the adulation he received is matched by only a handful. He had a thick and long white beard. His face reminded me of Homer. And his guffaw is like thundering clouds of the sky.
He squandered all his wealth in helping others and the chemistry, the two great objectives of his life. As you know well that a bard’s love for beauty and the external quest for beauty is merely physical manifestations of the inside chemistry. The conceivers of the idea of a heaven are infact creative authors. They shed light on the mankind’s secret desires reflected in those two creative mysteries. My father had exceptional capacity of fundamental curiosity to the entire scientific talent. The same is reflected in me as my beauty consciousness.’
In the household of the same incredible Aghornath Chattopadhyaya a baby girl was born on 13 February, 1879. The baby was christened Sarojini.
That was the time when India was reeling under the repressive colonial rule of the British. The natives were utterly demoralised. A defeatist mentality was setting in. There was no ray of hope.
The Indian society was suffering from famines, starvation, unemployment and corruption made worse by a number of social evils and blind faiths. Illiteracy was breeding ignorance and poverty.
There were stray voices of protests that were being stiffled brutally by the powerful colonial rulers. But the acts of defiance to the presence of alien rulers continued to take place sporadically.
The girl Sarojini was being brought up in such unhealthy environment.
In 1883, a controversy arose by the name of ‘Chanda Railway Scheme’. Aghornath and his friend Mulla Abdul Quayyum were behind it. Under the above scheme a British company was to be awarded the contract to lay railway lines for the Hyderabad State Railways. The railway line was to be extended to Warangal and two branch lines were to be laid. One of them was to link Baijwada and another to Chanda.
At that time the British had forced ‘Sovereign Power Treaty’ on the Indian princely states. Under this treaty Hyderabad was being administered by the British Resident. The Chanda Railway Scheme was being implemented by the Resident in a very arbitrary and arrogant way. There was great resentment against his manner of functioning among the people.
Dr. Aghornath and Mulla Quayyum raised their voice against this Chanda Railway Scheme and demanded that the full facts regarding the scheme be placed before the public. For this purpose they even formed a committee.
This protest was not liked by the Residency Council. It thought that the natives had no right to question the policies of the colonial rulers. So outraged it felt that the main actors behind the protest Dr. Aghornath and Mulla Quayyum were suspended from their posts. To rub salt to the injury authorities began to harass the two in several ways. The officials drew special pleasure in humiliating them.
They were targetted people.
Once Dr. Aghornath was to go by train. At the railway station he proceeded to buy a 1st class ticket. Authorities saw another chance to harass him. He was physically prevented from buying the ticket.
Then, eleven soldiers forcibly put him in a second class compartment.
Dr. Aghornath announced to the people on the platform who were witnessing the drama, “Gentlemen! You have seen with your own eyes that I did not get in this compartment on my own. I have been forced into it against my will. I protest against it.”
It was the first voice of protest raised against the British government and the arrogant colonial rule and it was done by Dr. Aghornath.
The people stood by him and continued an agitation for a long time. At last after a couple of years Dr. Aghornath was reinstated on his post. His confidant and close associate Abdul Quayyum also shifted to Hyderabad to live there.
Sarojini reminisces about him—
‘It extremely delights me to include in the bouquet of my memories my tributes to the dearest friend of my father, respected Mulla Abdul Quayyum. His physical beauty and attractive personality is inseparable parts of my childhood memories. The friendship between the two personalities coming from two diverse backgrounds of birth, education, ethnic cultures and religious traditions was unique. I never saw another such great talented twosome.
Both had rich characters, liberal mindset, versatile knowledge and amazing intelligence. The fire of moral anger against injustice, untruth and tyranny ever kept burning in their hearts. They had glowing and indomitable spirit to liberate the mankind from ignorance, poverty, exploitation and repression. That was their life force. And both of them were patriots par excellence. They loved their motherland, India and dreamt of its inevitable future glory as an independent country. They knew that Indian would gain freedom eventually come what may.
In that distant past I was a little girl. I couldn’t truly evaluate the sublime qualities of their characters, the commitments and the importance of their beliefs. Till a very later stage I did little realise that they may not be the very famous Indian renaissance leaders but they surely were the pioneers in that respect.
Doctor Aghornath did broaden the path of awakening for political awareness and the social reforms among the intelligentsia of Hyderabad. He was one of the pioneer Indians who lent their support in the formation of political organisation at all India level. This organisation grew up to become Indian National Congress that fought the freedom battle of India securing the independence for 350 million natives.
In the benevolent shadow of such a scholarly, justice loving and patriotic father Sarojini began growing up. She was the eldest child. Seven other siblings followed her, four brothers and three sisters.
The brothers were Virendranath, Bhupendranath, Ramendranath and Harindranath. And Mrinalini, Sunalini and Suhasini were her sisters.
Virendra was born in 1880, only one year after Sarojini was born. He was from the very early years revolutionary minded. He brooked no compromises and soft measures against the foe, the British rulers of India.
Virendra plunged head long in militant activities. The British authorities retaliated and he was sent into exile from the country.
Bhupendra arrived in the world in 1882 He turned out to be a studious fellow. After completion of his education and some service at junior level he became Assistant Auditor General of Hyderabad State.
Ramendra was born in 1885. He gained high education degrees. But nothing is known about his achieving any distinction in his professional life if there was any.
Harindra was born in 1898 had a artistic bend of mind. He blossomed into a renowned poet, dramatist and an artist.
Among the younger sisters of Sarojini, Mrinalini was born in 1883. The family lovingly called her by the nick name ‘Gunnu’. Educationally she made rapid strides and earned the ‘Science Honours’ degree from Cambridge University of England. Later she assumed the charge of Girls College Lahore as its Principal. She remained single all her life and totally dedicated herself to the cause of the education to women.
Sonalini was born in 1890. She grew into an accomplished classic dancer and a recognised artist. Her son Prahalad went on to become a scientist connected to an institution created by himself in United States of America.
The youngest of the siblings, Suhasini was born in 1901. She became a leading communist ideologue.
There, the entire family was a crowd of extremely talented persons. How could the eldest of the siblings Sarojini remain behind? She must become the flagship of the family. Sarojini naturally excelled in the studies at the school.
She passed matriculation examination in the first division in 1891 at the age of 12 years. During that period Hyderabad had no matric education facilities. She had go to Madras to do her matriculation studies. She was such a fast learner that she covered three year course in a single year.
Those were the days when the social conditions were not favourable for education of the women. The society was very orthodox. Traditions and customs ruled the lives of the people. The society was very inconsiderate in the case of the women. Social injustices and evil customs made the life a woman miserable. Most of the orthodox mob believed that a woman was born to slave for her husband taking him for her God. Education for women was considered as unnecessary luxury. The educated woman looked upon as odd ones of the female tribe. The old women folk infact mocked at the ones who talked of sending girls to school or college.
As a result there were a few girls visible in the schools or the colleges looking like ones serving some sentence for daring to be different.
But erudite Dr. Aghornath had a mind of his own. He favoured education for his daughters as essential as for his sons. Being a reformist he cared little for what the outdated people said. He was very determined and elaborate about educating his children.
Like the tradition in England lady teachers used to come to his home to teach the children English and French among other subjects.
The intellectual growth of Sarojini was much superior to her contemporary students. It does not mean that she was blessed with some God given gift. The major factor was the education oriented atmosphere in her family. Their house was like an academic institution. There was no gender or age bias in the family. All the members of the family used to take part in the discussions taking place at home. The subjects under discussion were not the mundane domestic happenings only but they used to include academic matters like science, general knowledge, philosophy or the politics.
All the members were free to raise any question on any subject and any member could provide the answer or offer his argument.
It was like a home parliament question hour.
