Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/135

 him, bawling in his ears, “We eat beef, listen, we eat beef.”

There was at this time a Brahman in Calcutta named Brindaban Ghosal, whose favourite practice was, every morning, after a bath in the river, to visit the houses of the rich and carry reports — often exaggerated — of the young men’s attacks on Hinduism. He represented them as atheistic in their beliefs, disrespectful to their parents, and capable of committing the most heinous sins; and he abused Derozio as the root of all this. He even went so far as to insinuate that among the educated class the question of marrying one’s sister was being mooted, and that Dakhinaranjan’s sister was soon to be given in marriage to his Eurasian Guru. Rumours like this created immense excitement throughout the city. They at length reached the ears of the College Committee, which directed the headmaster, Mr Anselmnot, to forbid any master engaging in conversation with the boys, either in or out of study hours, on religious subjects — also to forbid their eating any food while in the college.

While Hindu society was in this excited state another circumstance happened, on the 4th of December 1829, to add fuel to the fire. Lord William Bentinck issued his edict against Sati in the following terms:—

“It is hereby declared that after the promulgation of this regulation all persons convicted of aiding and abetting in the sacrifice of a Hindu widow by burning or burying her alive, whether the service be voluntary on her part or not, shall be deemed guilty of culpable homicide, and shall be liable to punishment by fine or imprisonment, or both.”

A few days after this — i.e. on the 11th day of the month Magh, 1830 — Rammohan Roy’s Brahmo Samaj first met in the house newly built for its use. At the