FROM THE DESK OF THE PRINCIPAL

Ram Mohan Roy, lived a glorious life for the Indian society from 22 May 1772 to 27 September 1833. He was an Indian reformer, social activist, educationist and radical thinker. He founded Brahmo Sabha in 1828 to launch a social and religious reform movement in pre-independent India. He became Raja for all of us, specially women and marginalized, the title conferred by Akbar II, the Mughal emperor. In politics, public administration, education and religion, Raja Ram Mohan Roy . He was known for his efforts to abolish the practices of sati and child marriage. Many historians consider him as the "Father of the Bengal Renaissance". BBC's poll of the ‘Greatest Bengali of All Time’ in 2004 had ranked him in 10 th position, making us proud forever. His fight against the social evils, like sati, polygamy, child marriage and the caste system, against superstitions and propagation for social and educational reforms in India, for property inheritance rights for women made him a pioneer for construction of new India.

He was a trend setter in Bengali Prose and Indian press. In his journal Sambad Kaumudi and in various other literary creations he favoured freedom of the press, induction of Indians into high ranks of service, and separation of the executive and judiciary. His books, Vedic Physics, India before Alexander: A New Chronology, An Alternative Timeline of Indian History: From Buddha and Mahavira to Bappa Rawal, India After Vikramaditya: The Melting Pot, India after  Alexander: The Age of Vikramadityas etc. explore his versatile movement across the domains of knowledge;  the discovery of the Rigveda, developing a new chronological framework for Indian history – all were properly analysed by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He was a great scientist, a knowledgeable historian, a political scientist, a sociologist and what not, as is evident from his actions and literary works.

We, on behalf of the HMMCW Library, are trying to illuminate our students and other readers about his contributions, which have made him a pioneer of Bengal Renaissance, or better to say Indian Renaissance; we are making a humble attempt to bring forth his literary works to pay a tribute to this pathbreaking personality.

-Dr. Soma Ghosh, Principal, Hiralal Mazumdar Memorial College for Women