Friday, January 18, 2013

Rabindranath and Nagendranath - 1926

( Mira Devi - standing rt.)
The youngest son-in-law of Rabindranath Tagore Nagendranath Gangopadhyay, had made the life of his wife Mira Devi, his son and daughter Nitindranath and Nandita, and even Rabindranath, a hail.Rabindranath wanted him to make him expert in agricultural Science by sending him to America and then utilise him in the development of Agriculture in his estate  But he took the easiest way of earning money by torturing his wife physically and mentally and by exploiting his rich and renowned father in law. Though he tried many times  in searching for a good job but was not successful.During non-cooperation movement Calcutta University was passing through  hard days . To get the support of Rabindranath Tagore, Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay, Vice chancellor of calcutta University, surpassing the criticism of the members of Senate, appointed Nagendranath Gangopadhyay on a monthly salary of Rs 500.00 only without his adequate qualification on Dec 1921 in the post of Guruprasad post of agriculture.Though he had recommendations from Rabindranath Tagore.
In those days a salary of Rs. 500/- and a residential quarter at Ballygunge Science College was not negligible. But the extrvagant and arrogant Nagendranath was not satisfied with that. In the words of Rabindranath; " Your restless and intolerant nature, your inability of controling yourself, your extra-ordinary anger, and your ferocious will to hurt others had caused occasional malady to me." - which was expressed in many letters written to Mira and Nagendranath. At last Mira Devi left the relation of nagendranath and lived in Shantiniketan with his father and got Nitindranath admitted in Shantiniketan School.  But Nagendranath adopted a new line to torture Mira Devi.
While appointing Nagendranath in Calcutta University, there was a precondition that he had to upgrade his qualification within a year. He wanted to go to UK for his higher study and took Nitindranath with him as a measure of punishment to Mira. To rouse his goodsense, Andrews, Pearson, and prasanta mahalanabis tried a lot.
From the book, "Rabindranath, Nagendranath and Calcutta University" written by Dr. Dinesh Chandra Singh, it is known that Nagendranath received sufficient money required by him for staying there. Still he asked for money from Rabindranath and Rathindranath which was not met with.
From the University Nagendranth got Rs. 800/- pm and two years study leave with full pay.