The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee called upon all concerned to celebrate the spirit of sacrifice and selflessness that the 175 year old Midnapore Collegiate School represented.
The President was speaking at the concluding ceremony of 175th year celebrations of Midnapore Collegiate School at Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal today (May 6, 2013).
The President recollected that the Midnapore Collegiate School was established in 1834, 23 years before the First war of Indian independence in 1857. He pointed out that the completion of 175 years is a momentous occasion in the life of any institution.
The President referred to the popular upsurge against the Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon in 1905 and participation of the people, specially the student community of the district in that movement. In response to the partition of Bengal, one group of freedom fighters believed that only armed revolution could bring independence. The seeds of armed revolution was thus sown in the soil of Medinipur district. Many ex-students and teachers of the School were revolutionaries like Khudiram Bose, Hemchandra Kanungo etc. Three District Magistrates, Douglas, Paddy and Berge were killed by the armed revolutionaries. Mr. Berge was killed by Shri Anathbandhu Panja, an ex-student of the school.
Paying glowing tribute to the founders of the School, Shri Mukherjee said that they took the decision of setting up an English High School at a time when a fierce debate between Orientalists and Anglicists on the best education system was going on. He said the School had the honour of having as its Headmaster an illustrious personality like Saint (Rishi) Rajnarayan Basu known to be Great grandfather of national uprising. Rajnarayan was Headmaster of the School from 1851 to 1866.
The President also remembered that his own baptism in politics was during 1966-67 in Medinipur district when he come to participate in a political meeting under the leadership of Shri Sushil Kumar Dhara.
The President laid the foundation for an auditorium and seminar hall of the School.
Governor of West Bengal, Shri M.K.Narayanan, State Minister, Dr. Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar and other dignitaries were present at the function.
This release issued at 2050 hrs