Page:A General Biography of Bengal Celebrities Vol 1.djvu/29

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20 LIFE OF MR, MANOMOHTJN GHOSE. CHAPTER IV. HIS CAREER IN ENGLAND AND AT THE BAR. In March 1862, he left for England with Mr. Satyendra Nath Tagore now a Judge in the Bombay Civil Service. He appeared, at the Civil Ser- vice examination in 1864 and 1865 ; and the marks for the Oriental languages being reduced, and other changes in the rules and regulations having been sud- denly introduced by the Civil Service Commissioners, he was unsuccessful in entering the Service. He then published a pamphlet in England, and made an agita- tion on the subject, which eventually had the effect of raising the marks for the Oriental languages. This pamphlet drew considerable public attention at. the time, and was very favorably noticed by the press in England, as well as in this country. As there is an unfortunate impression in the minds of our country- men, regarding the influence which residence in Eng- land is supposed to exercise on the minds of our young men, it may be useful and interesting to quote here the sentiments expressed by Mr. Ghose on this subject, when he was only 22 years of age, shortly before his return to India :— 'The other objection urged by the opponents of the Oriental languages which we have above alluded to— namely, that Indians ought not to be permitted to enter the Service unless they are thoroughly Europeanized — raises a very important question, and deserves serious reflection, for it involves conse- quences extending far beyond the legitimate sphere of the pre- sent controversy. As we have already said, no one would rejoice more than the present writer to see his countrymen adopt European manners and ideas, and imitate those sterling qua- lities which have contributed to the civilization of the West We should like, by all means, to see our countrymen vie with