Brahmo Samaj remembers the ‘Renaissance Man’

Kolkata: The Sadharan Brahmo Samaj paid tribute to Raja Rammohun Roy, the pioneer of Bengal Renaissance and the first modern man of India on Sunday to mark his 250th birth anniversary. The event started with ‘Upasana’ that was followed by a discussion on the polyglot’s contribution in different fields and his free thinking attitude.
Jawhar Sircar, member of Parliament, said the ideas of Rammohun Roy have shaken the fabric of the society.“It was only possible for Roy to bring about an awakening in the society and question the age-old practices and ideas within the social milieu. He learnt not only Bengali but also Sanskrit, Arabic, English, Greek, Latin, French and Hebrew. His exposure to Persian education and modern Western thought deeply influenced his reasoning,” added Sircar.
Sircar stressed that Roy championed the cause of freedom of press against the British government’s ordinance, which curbed publication of opinions freely. He said, “It is still relevant in the present day. Censorship and suppression of news still happen. Rammohun fought all his life against superstitions, religious orthodox views and this should inspire us to fight any kind of ‘evil forces’ in our society.” Registrar of Jadavpur University Snehamanju Basu also paid homage to the social reformer.