Dr Palto Datta
Education is the backbone of a nation. A society and a state that grow in an environment of education and culture become prosperous, upright and moral. The social policy, politics, economy, and the moral character of individuals of a nation develop according to the standards of quality education. Education and human character are inextricably linked. Education without character is the curse of society, an obstacle to development and progress. Looking at Greek history, we can see that despite the Greeks’ incomparable intelligence, the Romans defeated them.
The Romans were able to beat the advanced Greeks due to their honesty, unity and advanced character traits. Like many countries in the world, many talented people have contributed to the development of moral education and culture in our country. One of them was Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya, a gifted son of Bengal. He was born into an honest, poor Brahmin family in a remote village in Cumilla. The time was the early stage of Bengal’s New Renaissance. Mahesh Chandra’s childhood was marked by poverty. But with his strong will to be self-reliant, he overcame all suffering and poverty. Ramaala hostel, located in Shaktala in a beautiful environment on the outskirts of Cumilla, is one of his outstanding achievements. The Ishwar Pathshala, established in 1914 in his father’s name, provides free accommodation and food to the poor students studying there.
In the words “Ramaala Hostel: Some Memories”, Manindra Chandra Dutta wrote – “A student can become a complete human being through dedication and hard work, intelligence and talent, thinking and effort and acquiring knowledge. All the educational opportunities were, are and will be available in Ramaala Hostel.” Ishwar Pathshala was established to impart ideals of self-reliance in student life. It reminds me of the world’s first residential university, Nalanda. This educational institution was founded in the 5th century in present-day Bihar, India. If the essence of education is to acquire true knowledge and the ability to be self-reliant, then Nalanda is a shining example of it. Nalanda was known for its comprehensive curriculum within an interdisciplinary education system that included philosophy, logic, grammar, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and more.
Students were encouraged to develop an integrated approach to learning. At this residential university, both students and teachers live on campus. The importance of a conducive environment for learning was emphasised by building good relationships between students and teachers, which is impossible to imagine in the era of globalisation, and the self-centred needs of the 21st century. As the days pass, the violent grip of deceit, dishonesty, fraud, and corruption is tightening its hold on our society like an octopus. There seems to be no way out of this situation. The founder of Ramaala, Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya, lamented during his time: “If a Bengali dies, he will not die for lack of intelligence, but for lack of character. No sharp intellect or cunning will be able to save these depraved people.”
The teaching system at Nalanda was primarily based on the traditional Gurukul system, where students lived with their teachers in an informal, personalised environment. Encouraging intellectual discussion, debate, and dialogue between students and scholars was at the heart of the education system. The exchange of ideas and perspectives was an essential aspect of the learning process, which promoted critical thinking and intellectual development. Scholars were free to explore different schools of thought to encourage intellectual pluralism and tolerance. Many Western universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, also adopted the Gurukul model. After the establishment of Ramaala, Dr Rash Mohan Chakraborty and Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya themselves worked tirelessly to expand its activities. Today, the name of Cumilla Ramaala Library is also spoken with pride as a carrier of knowledge. A Sanskrit library was established in 1912 in the living room of Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya’s house in Cumilla to expand the path to acquiring proper knowledge, which grew amid language, culture, and tradition.
Mahesh Chandra Bhattacharya is one of those who have worked tirelessly for the good of the country and the people in achieving the great purpose of human life. He has established himself well in life from the poorest of the poor by relying on hard work, honesty, perseverance, self-confidence and noble ideals. He did not have the opportunity to study due to extreme poverty, but through hard work and a strong determination to be self-reliant, he focused on business and earned his fortune. This great man was born in Bitghar village of Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district. His father, Ishwar Das, was self-educated, and his mother, Ramaala Devi, was a devout woman. The Ramaala Library is one of his immortal works. The founder established ‘Ramaala’ in his mother’s name to facilitate the research work of the wise people of this region. The late Pandit Praban Rash Mohan Chakraborty, known as Mama to all the students, was the chief supervisor of this great institution since 1926. His role in promoting ideal education is unparalleled.
As per the agreement with Dhaka University, about 2,500 Ramaala booklets have been microfilmed. As a result of this initiative, many researchers from home and abroad visit Ramaala to read its booklets for research and other purposes. The contribution of Ramaala Library to the education and culture of Bangladesh is immense. In addition, this library preserves texts from various religions, making it an essential resource for creating biographies for general readers. The booklet section contains ancient culture and Bengali books. No fee or money is required for readers. Any reader and researcher can study in this library. It is open to all.
The original Ramaala Library building was built in Shakatla in Cumilla. The Devalaya building was established in 1917. A primary school and a girls’ hostel were established in 1919. The Naat Mandir was established in 1925. Poet Rabindranath Tagore came here in 1926. The students of Ramaala Hostel welcomed Tagore. Many famous scholars visited this Ramaala. This Ramaala Library is enriched with about 1200 printed books and more than 8,000 handwritten books on literature, culture, history, geography, philosophy, religion, and other branches of knowledge. The collection of handwritten books (manuscripts) is mostly three hundred years old.
Ishwar Pathshala and Ramaala library were established with Mahesh Chandra’s ideal of excellent character-building education. He thought of an ideal education for attaining true humanity, aiming to become practical and self-reliant by reforming the faults and shortcomings of the contemporary education system. Mahesh Chandra held and cherished the thought that accumulating money is not the purpose of life. Misuse of money is a great sin. And therefore, he spent his wealth for the welfare of the human race. Ishwar Pathshala and Ramaala, established by him to make the nation well educated, self-reliant, and endowed with good character, are an incomparable creation. May his ideal of education spread throughout Bengal. May our society be enlightened by his ideal of education. This is our salvation.
The writer is an Educator, author, and researcher
