Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/616

Rh of the excessive inhumanity, selfishness, and thoughtlessness of our males, is to be found nowhere else. The stronger sex of this country have been cruelly persecuting the weaker one under pretexts of some evil customs and practices, of which Polygamy is, at present, the most pernicious of all. This very vile, inhuman practice has caused incalculable sufferings to the woman-kind. The hardships and miseries that the females undergo under the prevalence of this custom are really heart-rending. In fact, the violence has run to such excess, that those who have the least conscience and sense of right and wrong, have one and all stood up against this cruel practice. They heartily wish that it should be abolished this very moment. Under the present state of the country, it is quite impossible to prevent this wide-spread custom without the aid of legislation. For this reason, many have come forward eagerly to petition the Government praying for the prevention of the incalculably injurious practice of Polygamy. Protests have also been issued from some quarters. I will now try my best to refute these protests, one by one.'

In fact, after Vidyasagar's first paper on Polygamy had been out, protests were issued by Tara Nath Tarkavachaspati, Dvaraka Nath Vidyabhushan, Kshetranath Smritiratna, Gangadhar Kaviratna, the renowned native physician of Murshidabad, and some others. The whole of Bengal was in a