Page:Vidyasagar, the Great Indian Educationist and Philanthropist.djvu/77

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

Mohan Babu was also a valued contributor. At the instance of Vidyasagar Sarada Prasad was later appointed Librarian to the Burdwan Raj, and as he himself could not issue the paper regularly and punctually he handed the editorship as well as the proprietorship to Pundit Dwarka Nath Vidyabhusan. He made it a complete success. It not only dealt with social and religious topics, but discussed in full all important political matters in chaste language. It was the first Bengali journal to criticise the measures of Government and educate public opinion. The earliest vernacular paper, "Bengali Gazette," had been started in Calcutta by Pundit Gangadhar Bhattacherji in 1815 and several others had soon followed. But for about forty years politics did not occupy any prominent place in them. It was reserved for Vidyabhusan to assist the rulers as well as the ruled by thoroughly ventilating the needs of the people and the intentions of the Government, thus promoting mutual knowledge.