Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Michael Sadler (1861-1943) and Rabindranath

The dissatisfaction about the functioning of Calcutta University was gradually growing in different ways  to the ruling authorities.To submit proposals for rectfication and development a Calcutta University Commission under the  chairman Michael Sadler , Vice-Chanellor, Leeds University. Sadler was a friend of Rothenstein. He brought an introductory letter from him for meeting Rabindranath.The learned section of Calcutta got excited with this Commission. Rabindranath, too, ould not keep himself out of this discussion. 
Mukul Dey determined to publish an album for sale containing sketches of twelve important persons in the ensuing Congress Session.He wrote in his diary on 9th Oct that when he approached Ashutosh Mukherjee, he said, " Our University is going to open some new departments. It would be better if Rabi Babu, Gagan Babu try their utmost to open here a department of fine arts and apply for it, this will help us."
In the afternoon I told this to Gurudev, he said, " there are some fake tells in that Tiger. Once we tried for a music conference but that was spoilt by him. The dialogue came from his mouth not from his heart."
         The context reminded me a letter written to the Education Director W.W. Hornell about the music education Institution. It was true that Ashutosh could not do anything in that respect, but his eagerness about fine art was not unsubstantial. After some year [1921] he created a post of professor of fine Art and offered the post to Abanindranath.
His another attempt was to open a system of examination in postgraduate in Bengali which was a matter of discussion also. Kalidas Nag wrote in his diary on 17th Oct, " We have come to the house of Pramatha Choudhury. There was a discussion about the introduction of Bengali in University Reform Scheme and the discussion was held."