Page:Bengal Celebrities.djvu/182

 [ '83 I SURENDRA NATH BANERJEE. In the history of nations, as in agriculture there are periods of fertility producing quite a crop of great men as well as times of sterility unielieved oy the appearance of a single man of genius. The forties of the nineteenth century were one such period of fertility. It was this decade that gave to our country, as we have seen, Mr, V. C. Bonnerjee, Mr. Monmohon Ghose and his brother. It was this decade again that witnessed the birth of one of the greatest sons of India, who has set apart his life to the service of his country and who may truly he entitled to the most honour- able title of the old Roman Orator, u the father of his country." Born in 1 848 Surendra Nath was junior to Mr. W. C. Bonnerji by four years and like him came of a respectable Brahmin family at Taltala in Calcutta. His father was the famous Dr. Durga Charan Banerjea whose medical skill has passed into a by-word in Bengal. Educated at the Dovlon College, Surendra Nath graduated at the Calcutta University and started for England in 1868 to try for the Indian Civil Service in company with two other young men each of whom is an honoured name in our country and one of whom has specially shed upon it a lustre for scholarship and patriotism. While in England Surendra Nath had the opportunity of studying under men tike Goldstucker and Samuel Morley. In due time he came out successful at the Civil Service Examination but the Com- missioners refused to take him into service on the plea of his having passed the age limit. Surendra Nath was driven to the necessity of making a law court matter of it and then the Commissioners gave up their contention by enrolling him as a member of the service. On his return to India Surendra Nath served for two years as an Assis- tant Magistrate at Sylhet but he soon had to resign the service on account of some slight charges brought against him by Government. There at once arose a storm of indignation all over the country and meetings were held and articles were written in support of Surendra Nath and accusing Government of gross injustice. But all was of no avail. Surendra Nath had to go. But out of evil cometh good and Surendra Nath lost^o the Civil Service became Surendra won