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All the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system

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"all the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

So we became very much ashamed. Yes. So all the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system.

Prabhupāda: Shopkeepers' nation.

Brahmānanda: A nation of shopkeepers only.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Why the shopkeepers' nation should predominate all over the world? Kill them. That is their . . . (indistinct) . . . And actually it is the German people who killed Britishers, British lion. Apart . . . after the Second War . . .

Brahmānanda: British was finished.

Prabhupāda: Finished. Everyone in the United Nation pressed on them, "Why you are colonizing? Why you are occupying so much land? You give up." And they were obliged. And there was great national movement of Gandhi. So all United Nation pressed that "They're wanting to avoid you. Why you are, by force, staying there?" Still, they would not go.

But when the soldiers began to join the national movement, they gave it up. "Now we cannot rule it." For their industry, for their political power, they did so many heinous activities in India. That's a great history. For selling their cotton goods, India's weavers were cut this finger so that they cannot weave. This is there in the history.

Brahmānanda: The . . . the independence movements of Africa, they took great inspiration from Gandhi's movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Brahmānanda: If Gandhi did it, then, they say: "Oh, now we can do it."

Prabhupāda: Gandhi started the movement from Africa, South Africa.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gandhi was attempted to be killed in South Africa.

Brahmānanda: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. One time he was crossing the street and the mob beaten him so severely, he could have died. One Englishman saved him. Was attempted to be killed. After this incidence, when Gandhi returned to India, he became leader automatically. Yes.

(pause)

One Dr. Kalidas Nama . . .

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Kalidas?

Prabhupāda: Dr. Kalidas Nama. Did you hear his name?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Only just now.

Prabhupāda: He was our professor. So he was explaining the different ages of archaeologist, anthropology.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is in philosophy, Śrīla Prabhupāda? In philosophy?

Prabhupāda: No, history.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, history.

Prabhupāda: In my higher class, I had history. So he was teaching us history.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: What is the standard of Calcutta University, Śrīla Prabhupāda, at the time when Śrīla Prabhupāda was in the University? How was the . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh, it was nice. Very nice students were coming out.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The moral standard was very good?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. We respected our professors like our father. The relationship between the student and the professors was very good. I had one Scottish professor, Dr. W. S. Urquhart. He was my nice friend. He was professor of philosophy, psychology. Later on he became vice-chancellor.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Calcutta?

Prabhupāda: Calcutta, yes. He was very perfect gentleman. Kind-hearted. Sometimes (chuckles) we joked. We were taking this, what is called, peanuts. So the professor was passing. So some of our friends remarked, (Bengali). So he thought that professor did not know Bengali. So immediately he turned: (Bengali).

So we became very much ashamed. Yes. So all the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system. All officers, big officers, educate . . .

(aside) Good morning.

. . . good educationists, they were to learn the local language. And they used to learn Bengali. Especially in Calcutta. There was one professor, Mr. Scrimgeour. He was professor of literature, English literature. So while teaching our English literature, he was giving parallel passage from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Yes. "Your Bankim-babu says like this." He used to say like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: That means he studied Bankim literature. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was compared with Sir Walter Scott of English literary men. Sir Walter Scott. In those days, Charles Dickens.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Charles Dickens.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And Sir Walter Scott were known two very great English literary men.

Karandhara: Novelists.

Prabhupāda: After . . . (indistinct) . . . Yes, novelists. So the relationship was very nice. There were . . . otherwise, how the Britishers could rule, unless there was obedience? But as soon as they saw, "Now the obedience is going on. The soldiers are leaving our camp and joining the National camp," immediately they decided to leave peacefully. "Otherwise, there would be some revolution. At that time, all good relationship will go. Better separate with good relation." This was Attlee's policy, to convince statesmen like Churchill thatm "You cannot rule over India any more. Better separate in good relationship."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: A few weeks ago, there was a supplement in the Times, the London Times. So they were describing about the relationship between British and India, in the early British period and after the British period. There they talked only about very good points, whereas they never say anything about . . . all very good points.

Prabhupāda: No, that . . . when they discuss, they must describe the good points only. But some of the British rulers were very, very unkind. And the last was that Jallianwala Bagh massacre, created by Lord Chelmsford. Then the British rule finished. In 1917, and immediately Gandhi started non-cooperation movement. So after thirty years, the Britishers were obliged to leave.

Page Title:All the professors from foreign countries, they were instructed to learn Bengali language, local language. That was the system
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-13, 11:16:23
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1