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Quick Facts
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Sir Surendranath Banerjee is a distinguished politician and an elite legislator who brought a new trend in the politics of India. He is among the few people to have laid the foundation of the New India.
Early Life
Sir Surendranath Banerjee is one of those who make a special place in the heart of the millions. He is considered as the most influential political leaders and a distinguished politician of that era. He was born in a Brahman family. Surendranath’s father inculcated in him the liberal and progressive thinking. He went to the Hindu College and then graduated from the University of Calcutta. He went to England in 1868 to clear the Indian Civil service examinations. Surendranath cleared the exam in 1869 but due to reasons related to his age, he was banded from joining. He then again cleared the exam in the year 1871 and was given the designation of assistant magistrate in Sylhet.
Career
This elite legislator got involved in politics after he was banned out of his job for committing a serious judicial error. Surendranath went to England to make an appeal for his discharge but due to racial discrimination, he was not given justice. Surendranath stayed in England from 1874 to 1875 and enhanced his knowledge with the works of Edmund Burke. Surendranath came back to India in 1875 with immense hatred against the British Raj. He then became an English Professor in the Metropolitan Institution, the Free Church Institution and the Rippon College.
This elite legislator with an outstanding personality was responsible for the development of the Indian National Association in 1876. This distinguished politician started educating people about their rights and against the atrocities done by the British people on Indians. He started an opinion against the racial discrimination that the British people did with Indians. Surendranath in the year 1879 founded a newspaper, ‘The Bengalee’. He founded a college which is now known as the Surendranath College in the year 1882. He started educating the Indian people with the help of his newspaper. He was arrested in 1883 for posting remarks against the British. After his arrest, the people of Bengal, Agra, Amritsar and many other cities came on roads and supported Surendranath. He merged his party with the Indian National Congress in 1886. Surendranath was elected as the President of the National Congress two times; in 1895 and in 1902.
Surendranath has played an eminent role in many important movements that mark the history of the nation like; partition of the Bengal province and the Swadeshi movement. Surendranath Banerjee was a man of honor and always supported what was right. His support to the Morley Minto reforms in 1909 gave many people a chance to ridicule him. He made many decisions that proved that he was not a man who follows the crowd. He criticized the civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. Surendranath was elected to the Legislative Council of Bengal in 1921.
He shared with the world his views and ideas by penning it down in a book; ‘A Nation in Making’ that was published in the year 1925.
Surendranath Banerjee in the later years of his career won the trust and respect of the British people. They knighted him with the title of Sir in the year 1921.
Sir Surendranath Banerjee is among the pioneers of the Indian politics in the British era. He was the Freedom fighter of India. He is considered among the people who laid the foundations of politics in India against the British atrocities. This person has made a unique place in the world by his prolific approach and elite legislator skills.
Written By: Arju Sharma
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