THB ORIGIN OP THE INOTAN ASSOCIATION 1 . 137 for Surendranath. A telegram expressing sympathy for him was despatched that very night, and it was re- solved at the meeting that by way of shewing the ap- preciation of Surendranath's services to the country, 1 6 copies of his newspaper (Bengalee) should be sub- scribed, and the subscriber's names were announced 4t the meeting. This was, we believe, the first public meeting held in India to express sympathy with him* THE ORIGIN OF THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION AMD BABU SURENDRA NATH. With the growth of English education in the eountry, a strong desire arose in the mind of the, vast bulk of the educated middle-class that an orga-= nized political Association representing the interests of all classes of the native society should be formed* They were unwilling to ally themselves with the British Indian Association which, in spite of its splendid services to the cause of the country, became, from un^ avoidable circumstances, an apparently exclusive and sectional representative body/ Acting under this feeling the middle-class educat- ed Natives with the active and willing sympathy of the England-returned Bengalees, started the Indian Association on the 26th July 1876. The day must be re-* garded as memorable in Babu Surendra Nath Baner- jee's life. At twelve o'clock of that day he had lost his only son, yet he did not hesitate to come to the meet* ing (which had chiefly been organized by him) at 4 p.m. And not only was he present, but that when an amend- ment was moved that the Association, should not be. formed, seeing that there was a similar Association, the Indian League, he gave an effective reply which carried the meeting with him. The amendment was lost, and the Indian Association was duly established. Babu Shama Churn Sircar, the author of the Vyavasiket Darpatta^ presided at the meeting, and among others the late 18
