Rabindranath and Leonard Elmhirst (contd-3)

On 29th Nov The Consulate of french Lucian Ernest (Roger) Laronce [1869-1932] came to the Ashram. Sylvain Levi greeted him in a dinner.Rabindranath , too, was present at the dinner.Madam Levi wrote; " Today evening when Rabindranath was explaining him about the wish and desire of the East, he seemed to be inspired. He said, " they should not be laid dead by pasting with our heavy shoes. When the West is now dying with equipment and technology , they can learn from the philosophy and civilisation of the east and be enriched  with auspicious teachings. Our craziness for demands are the cause of our sorrow and war. Anyway a few great men came to understand."
Rabindranath was eagerly observing that Elmhirst had started doing his work with his assistants.The centre of reconstruction of villages at Surul was named as " School of Agriculture". An working council was formed with Rabindranath as the chancellor and Elmhirst,     Santosh Chandra, Rathindranath, and Gourgopal as its members.
A proposal was made to form a Trustee with the members, Prfulla Chandra Roy, Jagadish Chandra Basu, Bjendranath Seal, Head of YMCA K.T.Paul, Michael Sadler,  and Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey of Cornel University.
A discussion was made with Rabindranath about these matters.According to the New India Act a Gram Panchayet and a District Board was going to be formed with English ICS officer at the top as collect orate. Rabindranath thought if the British wanted sincerely to form Panchayet then it would be possible to organise.
He promised to send letters to the members of the trustees informing them about a Mela to be organised in Surul with the following items as lecture, games, plays etc by the villagers so that they became inspired.
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis wrote, " in the mean time  the poet called me and Suren Babu (Thakur) and asked us to construct a constitution. - it was in Aug or Sept."                                                                      
Rathindranath wrote to Mrs Moody informing her about the beginning of their work Elmhirst;
"We are now very busy   drawing up a new constitution for the whole Institution.  There will be a meeting this evening to adopt it."

At this moment the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore university Dr. Brajendra Nath Seal (Sir Brajendra Nath Seal KCIE (Bengali: ব্রজেন্দ্রনাথ শীল) (1864–1938) was a renowned Bengali Indian humanist philosopher. He was one of the greatest original thinkers of the Brahmo Samaj and did work in comparative religion and on the philosophy of science. He systematized the humanism of the Brahmo philosophical thought. In his work, he underscored the tectonic shift in Brahmo theology in the late eighteenth century from liberal theism to secular humanism. Like his better known ideological precursor Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Seal was an educator, a firm believer in the cause of rationalism and scientific enquiry, a polymath in his own right and yet at the same time a preacher of humanism as a religious doctrine (as opposed to organized religion).) wrote a letter to Rabindranath on 12th Dec;
" I shall, reach Calcutta very soon. Peehaps I can meet Sylvain Levi at Calcutta. You may stay at Calcutta during X-mas holiday - though I am  not sure- any way if we can meet at Calcutta- it is well and good or i shall meet you where stay - this time I shall  not go back without meeting you."
Rabindranath decided that   during this Paus Utsab he would hand over Viswa Bharati to the people of our country in a meeting to be preside by Brajendranath Seal. He wrote this to Pramatha Choydhury;
" Viswa Bharati is gradually growing bigger from its nuleus. I shall hand it over to the public this year on 7th Paus, in its annual meeting. I want a real organizer - in English this is termed as Vice-chancellor. After thinking lot I decided to give the post if you agree. I presume thatb there will not be any deficit of fund.But at present I can pay Rs. 300/- pm as salary on condition that you have to stay here.You have to take the responsibility of organising it, and donate  your labour, thought and time. I shall  try to give you a good accommodation. You are to think that this Institution will have its area of operation as the whole civilised world. To become the  head of this institution will be a prestigious one."
Pramatha Choudhury could not take the responsibility on personal ground.