The Modern Review/Volume 38/Number 4/Calcutta University Reform

Calcutta University Reform

All representative bodies, parliaments downwards, have periodical general elections. This serves to counteract various kinds of undesirable results. After a general election, the management of affairs may fall into the hands of incompetent men, or reactionaries, or persons who place private advantage over public good, or men who cleverly mix up private gain with some public advantage. A general election may also lead to the coming into power of a party who, in spite of the best intentions in the world, may be guilty of serious blunders. Lastly, a general election may place in power men who are competent and honest, but who, on account of natural human limitations of vision and judgment, may not be alive and attentive to all the needs of human society which, if properly attended to, go to wake up the sum of human good.

For all these reasons every time a general election is held, there is an opportunity provided for the removal of some fault or defect which resulted from the previous election.

Of course, whether democracy furnishes the best machinery for the management of public affairs may still be a subject of discussion. But we are not here discussing that question. We have reasons for taking it for granted that, on the whole and judged by the results of long periods in the histories of different countries under different systems of government, there is no form of government superior to democracy.

The affairs of the Calcutta University are not as well managed as they may and should be. We think its only hope for reform and improvement lies in democracy. Of course, the electorate should consist only of educated persons who are not in state pupilari. Graduates of how many years’ standing they ought to be and other details of that kind, we do not discuss here. But the electorate should be large. At least eighty per cent of the fellows should be elected. This is the fundamental reform on which any other kind of reform can be securely based. As this can be brought about only by legislation, the constituencies which have returned M.L.C.’s to the council and all newspapers should press this question on the attention of the members. If it be not practicable to legislate on the subject in the Bengal Council, a Bill should be introduced in the Legislative Assembly.

We do not at all suggest that until this reform has been made, none other can be effected or should be attempted. On the contrary, we hold that there should be no intermission of attempts at reform. But it should always be remembered that there can be no permanent gain until the ultimate authority has been placed on an elective basis.

We are not blind to the fact that elections may result in making mere politician masters at the Senate House and that consequently the condition of the University may become even worse then now. But we have to take that risk.

We have tried long to educate the public in taking adequate interest in University affairs. We cannot say that we have had sufficient success. But there is one welcome change. For a long time it was practically our monthly journals alone which dealt with University affairs. Then others were made to fake interest in them,the interest frequently taking the form of abuse heaped on our head. There is at present more general curiosity about University matters. But the curiosity should be more intelligent, and the interest better informed and more watchful. Even our legislators seem to think that if large sums of money be demanded and obtained from Government, it will automatically be all well with the University.

The anti-Government cry was Sir Asutosh Mookerjee’s most potent trump card, and he played it adroitly. The University clique hes cleverly kept up that cry. That cry has brought them strange bedfellows. Quondam non-cooperators, turned swarajists) who wanted to destroy the University, are hailed as the best friends of the University clique, because both gain by the anti-Government cry; whilst we who resisted and consistently and persistently criticized Mr. Gandhi’s propaganda against schools, colleges and Universities and have continued to do the same, and suffered much obloquy and loss in consequence, are the worst enemies of high education!