Malaviya: visionary with selfless devotion to education
VISHWANATH PANDEY
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He was one of the tallest leaders of the national movement
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Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya had a good deal to say in his note of dissent as a member of the Indian Industrial Commission (1918), about education, the neglect of which by colonial power in his opinion, largely accounted for the backwardness of India. British India would not have lagged behind but for the omission on the part of Government where it had not agreed even to the modest Primary Education Bill sponsored by Gokhale and supported by Malaviya himself. He advocated p
rovision of agricultural, mechanical and commercial education at all levels.
He strongly opposed the creation of an Imperial Industrial Service and of a cadre of scientists styled ‘Imperial Chemical Service’ for carrying on scientific research in aid of industries. “The thinking process was to create a niche for India which cannot regain her prosperity until the study and application of the modern sciences becomes, so to speak, naturalised in the country. A wide diffusion of science in India as a means of rescuing the people from the abject poverty into which they have fallen is not possible until science, both theoretical and practical, can be learnt by Indians in their own country,” noted the first prospectus of BHU.
Representing culture
Mere industrial advancement cannot restore India to the position which she once occupied among the civilised countries of the world, unless the society to which they belong is not under the abiding influence of a great religion acting as a living force. Successor to Mahamana as Vice-Chancellor of BHU in 1939, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (while unveiling life size statue of Mahamana in 1961) said that Malaviya was said to be a supporter of Sanatana Dharma. And Sanatana Dharma is not the rites and ceremonies, nor those things which have changed from centuries but those qualities which are of a universal character and which have an appeal even to-day i.e. Abhaya, Ahimsa, Asanga. Malaviya declared in the legislative council on the introduction of the BHU Bill in March 1915 that BHU would be a denominational but not a sectarian institution.
Theorist of French democracy Prof. Pierre Rosanvallon was of the opinion that secularism in India held out the promise of freedom to practise one’s religion, of individual justice and representation, and of the protection of minority cultures. Jawaharlal Nehru, giving his tribute to Malaviya at his birth centenary, said that he was one of the tallest leaders of the national movement. Malaviya was born on December 25, 1861 and died on November 12, 1946. He got his B.A. degree in 1884, LL.B in 1891, and practised in the High Court of Allahabad. He was editor of newspapers and journals — The Hindustan (a daily Hindi Newspaper), The Indian Union, Abhudaya, Maryada and The Leader. He was the Managing Editor of the Hindustan Times (New Delhi) for long many years.
Four times, he was bestowed Presidentship of the Indian National Congress, a unique distinction of political maturity and respect which he commanded. He was the only leader of the Congress who got associated with it in 1886 and remained with it almost the entire period of our national movement. In 1903, Malaviya was elected to the Provincial Legislative Council.
There he delivered important speeches on the annual financial statement, Excise, Rowlett and the Bundelkhand Land Alienation Bills. He was subsequently elected to the Imperial Legislative Council in 1910 and continued to be its member till 1930.
Distinguished services
His services to the socio-political life of India and its economic regeneration have indeed been great. But greater still and more enduring has been his selfless devotion to the cause of education through the establishment of the Hindu University at Banaras for which Malaviya was able to collect the large sum of money required to establish the university of his dream.
The objective was to create manpower for the reconstruction of India after attainment of its freedom. It is noteworthy to record here that the mandate has been fulfilled by the alumni of the university in laying down many infrastructure and developmental projects. It may also be noted here that the engineering and science education in Banaras Hindu University is a backbone of creating institutional network in the country. He worked ceaselessly to put the university on a firmer root and guided its destiny as its Vice-Chancellor (1919-39) and Rector (1939-46).
In his famous convocation address (1929), he observed that the education the youth had received was required to plant an ardent desire in their minds to see their country free and self-governing. He wished them to act with a full sense of responsibility and to work in the right spirit and under proper guidance for the freedom of the country.
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