Autumn Annual

Rabindranath Tagore Live in Presidency

Extracts from the Proceedings...

Saturday, April 23, 1831
Present :
Baboo Chundro Coomar Tagore - Governor
H. H. Wilson  - Vice Presdt.
Baboo Radhamadub Banerjea
Baboo Radha Canto Deb
Baboo Ram Comul Sen
Da Hare Esqr.
Baboo Russomoy Dutt
Baboo Prasonno Coomar Tagore
Baboo Sri Kishen Singh
Luckynarayan Mookerjea - Secretary

Read the following Memorandum on the occasion of calling the Present meeting.

The object of convening this meeting is the necessity of checking the growing evil and the Public alarm arising from the very unwarranted arrangement and misconduct of a certain Teacher in whom great many children have been interested who it appears has materially injured their Morals and introduced some strange system the tendency of which is destruction to their moral character and to the peace in Society.

The affair is well-known to almost everyone and need not require to be stated.

In consequence of his misunderstanding no less than 25 Pupils of respectable families have been withdrawn from the College. There are no less than 160 boys absent some of whom are supposed to be sick but many have purposed to remove unless proper remedies are adopted......... Memoranda of the proposed rules and arrangements.

1. Mr. Derozio being the root of all evils and cause of Public alarm, should be discharged from the College, and all communications between him and the Pupils be cut off.

 2. Such of the Students of the higher class whose bad habits and practices are known and who were at the dining party should be removed.

 3. All those students who are publicly hostile to Hindoosim and the established custom of the Country and who have proved themselves as such by their conduct, should be turned out.

 4. The age of admission and the time of the College Study to be fixed 10 to 12 and 18 to 20 (sic).

5. Corporal punishment to be introduced when admonition fails for all crimes committed by the body. This should be left at the discretion of the head Teacher.

6. Boys should not be admitted indiscriminately without previous enquiry regarding their character.

7. Whenever Europeans are procurable a preference shall be given to them in future their character and religion being ascertained before admission.

 9. (sic) Boys are not allowed to remain in the College after school hours.

10.  If any of the boys go to see or attend private lectures or meetings, to be dismissed.

11. Books to read and time for each study to be fixed.

12. Such books as may injure the morals should not be allowed to be brought, taught or read in the College.

13. More time for studying Persian and Bengally should be allowed to the boys.

14. The Sanskrit should be studied by the Senior Classes.

15. Monthly Stipends be granted  only to those who have good character, respectable Proficiency and whose further stay in the College be considered beneficial.

16. The student wishing to get allowance must have respectable proficiency in Sanskrit and Arabic.

Source; Presidency College Magazine 2004-2005

17. The boys transferred from the School Society's Establishment to be admitted in the usual way and not as hitherto and their Posting class to be left to the head Teacher.

18. The practice of teaching boys in a door shut room should be discontinued.

With reference to the 1 article of the above the following proposition was submitted to the meeting and put to the vote.

 "Whether the managers had any just grounds to conclude that the moral and religious tenets of Mr. Derozio as far as ascertainable from the effects they have produced upon his Scholars are such as to render him an improper person to be intrusted with the education of youth.

Baboo Chandra Coomar stated that he knew nothing of the ill effects of Mr. Derozio's instructions except from report.

Mr. Wilson stated that he had never observed any ill effects from them and that he considered Mr. Derozio to be a teacher of superior ability.

Baboo Radha Canto Deb stated that he considered Mr. Derozio a very improper person to be intrusted with the education of youth.

Baboo Russomoy Dutt stated that he knew nothing to Mr. Derozio's prejudice except from report.

Baboo Prosonno Coomar Tagore acquitted Mr. Derozio of all blame for want of proof to his disadvantage.

Baboo Radha Madub Banerjea believed him to be an improper person from the report he heard.

Baboo Ram Comul Sen concurred with Baboo Radha Canto Deb in considering him a very improper person as the teacher of youth.

Baboo Sri Kishen Sinh was firmly convinced that he was far from being an improper person and  Mr. Hare was of opinion that Mr. Derozio was a highly competent teacher and that his instructions have always been most beneficial.

The majority of the managers being unable from their own knowledge to pronounce upon Mr. Derozio's disqualifications as a teacher the committee proceeded to the consideration of the negative question.

Whether if was expedient in the present state of public feeling amongst the Hindoo community of Calcutta to dismiss Mr. Derozio the college.

Baboos Chandra Coomar Tagore, Radha Canto Deb, Ram Comul Sen, and Radha Madub Banerjea voted that it was necessary.

Baboos Russomoy Dutt and Prasanna Coomar Tagore that it was expedient and Baboo Sri Kishen Sinh that it was unnecessary.

Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hare decined voting on a subject affecting the state of native feeling alone. Resolved that the measure of Mr. Derozio's dismissal be carried into effect with due consideration to his merits and services.

[Ed. Rules 5,6,11,12,19, were adopted. Rules 7,9,13 were adopted with modifications. Rules 2 and 15 were supposedly already in force.]

–No. 30. Letter from Mr. Derozio communicating his resignation and commenting on the Resolution of the Committee passed at the rare Special Meeting to dismiss him without examining the circumstances thereof and affording him time to vindicate his character from those accusations which have been fixed upon it.-25 April

No.31 Letter from Ditto furnishing replies to the Queries put on him by the Vice-president as to have inculcated the following lessons.

Firstly Denying the existence of God. Secondly Disrespect to Parents, & thirdly marriage with sisters. –26 April