Ashwini Kumar Dutta
Encyclopedia
Ashwini Kumar Dutta (25 January 1856 – 7 November 1923) was an Indian
educationist, philanthropist
, social reformer and patriot.
family in Patuakhali
in the district of Barisal in Bengal
, now in Bangladesh
on 15 January 1856. His father Brojo Mohun Dutta was a Munsiff and a Deputy Collector who later became a District Judge. He passed the Entrance examination from Rangpur
in 1870 and completed his F.A. from Hindu College
. He went to Allahabad
to study law. After that he came back to Bengal and completed his M.A. and B.L. from Krishnanagar College.
at Serampore
and acted as the Headmaster of the school for seven months. In 1880, he was called to the Bar at Barisal. He built up a lucrative practice and expended his earning in philanthropic activities. At the suggestion of Ramesh Chandra Dutta, the then Magistrate of Barisal, he established the Brojomohun School in the memory of his father, on 27 June 1884. Ashwini Kumar Dutta was elected as a delegate to the second session of Indian National Congress
, held at Kolkata in 1886. He took the initiative to establish the District Board in Barisal in 1887. He established the Bakarganj Hitaishini Sabha and a girls' school in the same year. That year he attended the third session of Indian National Congress
in Chennai
and spoke on need of reforms in the Legislative Council. In 1888, he was appointed the Vice-Chairman of Barisal Municipality. In 1889, he established the Brojomohun College as a second grade college. He served as the honorary lecturer of English
at the college for 25 years. In 1897, he was appointed the Chairman of Barisal Municipality. In 1898, he was selected amongst the committee that was empowered to draw up a constitution of the Congress.
The Partition of Bengal drew him to the Swadeshi movement. He founded the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti to promote the consumption of indigenous products and boycott foreign goods. When the moderates and the extremists parted ways in the Surat session, he attempted a reconciliation between the two groups. In 1908, the government of the newly formed Eastern Bengal and Assam
banned the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti in 1908 and deported him to the United Provinces where he was interred at the Lucknow
jail. After his release in 1910, he concentrated on sustaining the Brojomohun School and Brojomohun College. He had no other way that to accept government aid. In 1912, he was forced to hand over the management of the school and the college to two different trustee councils. In 1918 he attended the Bombay
session of the Indian National Congress
. He actively undertook relief work after the Barisal cyclone of 1919. In 1921 at the Kolkata
session of the Indian National Congress
, he lend the non-violent Non-Cooperation Movement. Mohandas Gandhi arrived in Barisal that year to show respect to the great leader. In 1922, he joined the striking workers of Assam Bengal Railway and Steamer Company in protest against the atrocities on the workers of tea plantations of Assam.
on religion, philosophy and patriotism.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
educationist, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, social reformer and patriot.
Early life
Ashwini Kumar Dutta was born in a middle class Bengali HinduBengali Hindu
Bengali Hindus are an ethno-linguistic group, belonging to the Indo-Aryan family and are native to the Bengal region of the Indian Subcontinent. The Bengali Hindus along with other related ethno-linguistic groups constitute the vast majority of Hindus...
family in Patuakhali
Patuakhali District
Patuakhali is a district in South-western Bangladesh. It is a part of the Barisal Division.This is the main entrance for the beach of Kuakata. Famous for watching both the sun rise and sun set. It is called "The Daughter of Sea".-Geography:...
in the district of Barisal in Bengal
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal, was a colonial region of the British Empire in South-Asia and beyond it. It comprised areas which are now within Bangladesh, and the present day Indian States of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa and Tripura.Penang and...
, now in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
on 15 January 1856. His father Brojo Mohun Dutta was a Munsiff and a Deputy Collector who later became a District Judge. He passed the Entrance examination from Rangpur
Rangpur, Bangladesh
Rangpur is one of the major cities in Bangladesh. Rangpur is considered as the centre of northwestern Bangladesh. Recently established public university of Bangladesh named as "Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur" is situated in the southern part of the city. Earlier Rangpur was the headquarter of...
in 1870 and completed his F.A. from Hindu College
Hindu College
-India:*DRBCC Hindu College, Chennai*Gobardanga Hindu College, West Bengal State University, Gobardanga Dist., West Bengal*Gokul Das Hindu Girls College, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh*Hindu College, University of Delhi...
. He went to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
to study law. After that he came back to Bengal and completed his M.A. and B.L. from Krishnanagar College.
Career
Ashwini Kumar Dutta started his career as a teacher at the Krishnanagar Collegiate School in 1878. In the next year he joined Chatra Nandalal InstitutionChatra Nandalal Institution
Chatra Nandalal Institution, Serampore was established in 1874 in Hooghly District in West Bengal, India. It is situated on the bank of the Hooghly River and having a river side view of the cantonment town of Barrackpore.-Academic affiliation:...
at Serampore
Serampore
Serampore is a city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a pre-colonial town on the right bank of the Hoogli River...
and acted as the Headmaster of the school for seven months. In 1880, he was called to the Bar at Barisal. He built up a lucrative practice and expended his earning in philanthropic activities. At the suggestion of Ramesh Chandra Dutta, the then Magistrate of Barisal, he established the Brojomohun School in the memory of his father, on 27 June 1884. Ashwini Kumar Dutta was elected as a delegate to the second session of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, held at Kolkata in 1886. He took the initiative to establish the District Board in Barisal in 1887. He established the Bakarganj Hitaishini Sabha and a girls' school in the same year. That year he attended the third session of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and spoke on need of reforms in the Legislative Council. In 1888, he was appointed the Vice-Chairman of Barisal Municipality. In 1889, he established the Brojomohun College as a second grade college. He served as the honorary lecturer of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the college for 25 years. In 1897, he was appointed the Chairman of Barisal Municipality. In 1898, he was selected amongst the committee that was empowered to draw up a constitution of the Congress.
The Partition of Bengal drew him to the Swadeshi movement. He founded the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti to promote the consumption of indigenous products and boycott foreign goods. When the moderates and the extremists parted ways in the Surat session, he attempted a reconciliation between the two groups. In 1908, the government of the newly formed Eastern Bengal and Assam
Eastern Bengal and Assam
Eastern Bengal and Assam was a province of British India, constituted of the eastern portion of the erstwhile province of Bengal and the Chief Commissioner's province of Assam. The new province came into being on 16th October 1905, following a partition of Bengal. The Bengali Hindu people agitated...
banned the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti in 1908 and deported him to the United Provinces where he was interred at the Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
jail. After his release in 1910, he concentrated on sustaining the Brojomohun School and Brojomohun College. He had no other way that to accept government aid. In 1912, he was forced to hand over the management of the school and the college to two different trustee councils. In 1918 he attended the Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
session of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. He actively undertook relief work after the Barisal cyclone of 1919. In 1921 at the Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
session of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, he lend the non-violent Non-Cooperation Movement. Mohandas Gandhi arrived in Barisal that year to show respect to the great leader. In 1922, he joined the striking workers of Assam Bengal Railway and Steamer Company in protest against the atrocities on the workers of tea plantations of Assam.
Works
Ashwini Kumar Dutta has written a number of books in BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
on religion, philosophy and patriotism.
- Bhaktiyoga
- Karmayoga
- Prem
- Durgotsavtattva
- Atmapratistha
- Bharatgeeti