Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/136

 time of inauguration the following words from its trust deed were read out:— “Men of all classes, without distinction of caste, colour, or creed, shall have access to this building, only on condition that they worship the one true God alone, and know no god save Him.” Both these events maddened the orthodox Hindus of Calcutta. Raja Radhakanta Deb, at that time leader of their society, inaugurated the “Religious Association,” a branch of which was established by Mati Lal at Colootola. Bhavani Charan Banerji, editor of the Bengali paper Chandrika, went about preaching Hinduism with zeal. Almost all the rich people of Calcutta were admitted into the “Religious Association,” and innumerable carriages were to be seen at the gate of the house where it was held on the days of meeting. Its members had a great spite against Rammohan, and it was to crush him, they said, that they had combined. They resolved to excommunicate his party.

But the founder of the Brahmo Samaj remained unmoved. He, with his few adherents, went to the Samaj for worship as if nothing had happened. On many occasions, while returning from there in his carriage, he was waylaid by the mob, instigated by his opponents, abused and pelted, but he bore all with calmness. The regulation against Sati, and the establishment of the Brahmo Samaj, had so infuriated the minds of the citizens of Calcutta that Rammohan Roy could get only a very limited number — consisting of his personal friends alone — to sign their name to the letter of thanks to Lord William Bentinck for the humane measure he had taken to stop the self-murder of the widows.

It was a few months after these events that the noted missionary, Dr Duff, came to Calcutta, and with Rammohan Roy’s help established an English School with the