Chitta Ranjan in his private life.
The unfolding of a man's character depends to a great extent on the
atmosphere created by his family. Brought up by an ideal mother Chitta
Ranjan came to regard his country as the other self of his mother. The
sweet remembrance of his dear mother brings tears to his eyes and
gives him strength to suffer for his country. His mother was a noble
lady whose sense of duty was exceptional, whose piety exemplary and
fortitude unique. During the evil days of her husband when she could
not even meet her house-hold expenses and had no servants to wait on
her, she did every house-hold work with her own hands and prepared the
meals of her husband and children and other members of the house,
while she herself had to fast now and then for want of food; but all
this time a sweet smile played on her lips. Of her generosity and
liberality we shall here cite an instance. In her house at that time
there lived a poor relation of her husband. This man was a habituated
drunkard. Almost every day whenever he lost his sobriety he used
abusive language to Chitta Ranjan's mother. Bhuban Babu was much
annoyed and wanted to turn him out of the house, but his wife
prevented him by saying that the poor man would then die of starvation
and as for herself she did never mind the man's conduct. She was an
incarnation as it were of sincerity and generosity, to her could
justly be applied the maxim of "weeping with them that weep." In fact
the knowledge of other men's distress drew a flood of tears to her
eyes. She was a fountain of affection which was not reserved only for
her children. One of her husband's friends lost his wife on
child-birth. Chitta Ranjan's mother took charge of the newly-born baby
but unfortunately it did not live long. A few months before her death
at Purulia a poor maid servant of her house fell seriously ill and was
dying for want of diet, she arranged everything for the proper
treatment of the servant and saved the life of the poor woman. She was
always at the bed-side of the poor, was ready to give a helping hand
to the needy and tried her utmost to allay the distress of the
afflicted. No beggar went away disappointed from her door. She never
desired for luxury. She gladly parted with all her ornaments to repay
her husband's debts.
But in the midst of all these softer feelings she had a very strong
element in her composition. She was very sensitive. She would not
tolerate any injustice done to her. She was equally noted for her
liberality and uprightness. Chitta Ranjan's character was moulded to a
great extent on her mother's ideal. He was much devoted to his mother
who also loved him very dearly. But unfortunately she could not see
her dearest son at the time of her death. She laid on her breast
Chitta Ranjan's famous work "Sagar-Sangit" and privately told her
husband before she breathed her last that if she was to be born a
woman again she would like to have such a son. Just at the time of his
mother's expiry when Chitta Ranjan was coming from Bombay, he saw in a
dream in the train his mother appearing before him. Was it a
presentiment?
About six months after the death of his mother Chitta Ranjan lost his
father. He performed the Sradh ceremony with great eclat, the chief
feature of the celebration was the feeding of the poor. Chitta Ranjan
was personally present to see the hungry beggars take various sorts
of rich food to their entire satisfaction. It was his explicit order
that the poor should be given all that was liked by his father. It was
even a treat for the gods to see the poor beggars ring the sky with
loud shouts of applause and for many months it was a general talk in
the localities how Chitta Ranjan had fed the poor.
In his private life Chitta Ranjan had to pass through many tests. He
was the eldest son of his father and as such since his father's
illness the burden of maintaining and educating his brothers and
sisters fell upon him. He gladly took up this charge and the result is
well-known.
His youngest brother, Basanta Ranjan was a rising Barrister of the
Calcutta High Court when his career was cut short by death. His only
brother now living is Srijut Profulla Ranjan Das who is a puisne Judge
of the Patna High Court, Profulla Ranjan is a renowned writer of
English verses some of which are inserted in Mr. Dunn's Bengali Book
of English verse. His sister Srijukta Amala Devi was famous throughout
India as a singer of songs, even the other day at the Besant session
of the Indian National Congress at Calcutta she thrilled the audience
with her charming voice when she sang the famous song "Bande Mataram."
A few years ago Amala Devi started an orphanage at Purulia where with
the financial help of her eldest brother she gave shelter to the
blind, lame and the suffering. While engaged in this noble work Amala
Devi passed away after a short but active career. Chitta Ranjan's
eldest sister lost her husband at an early age and Chitta Ranjan had
to look after her children. Another of his sisters died very young.
Chitta Ranjan's another sister Srijukta Urmila Devi who has recently
lost her husband has dedicated her life and energy to the services of
her country and has started an ideal institution for educating
Bengali girls on national lines.
In 1897 Chitta Ranjan married Srijukta Basanti Devi, the beautiful and
accomplished daughter of the late Babu Barada Halder, Dewan of the
Bijni estate. In her Chitta Ranjan has found an ideal house-wife and a
noble partner in life. She is the best consoler in her husband's
distress, the most impartial critic of his poetry and now the constant
companion in his patriotic activities. Her face always beams with a
holy light of virtue and her eyes smile with a pure lusture. She is
highly educated though without any degree. In 1919 the ladies of
Amritasar in the annual session of the All-India Ladies' Conference
nominated her as their President. Basanti Devi naturally fought shy of
public appearance but she could not disregard the request of her
sisters of the Punjab in the hour of their trial and suffering. In her
address she greatly dwelt upon the building-up of the Indian womanhood
on Eastern lines. "Remember" she said, "the ideal of Indian womanhood
is Sati, Sabitri and Sita. If our experience so requires it, reform
Indian ideal to suit the present times but seek not to destroy the
eternal ideal of India. Our home shall always be the Indian home."
Chitta Ranjan earned a good deal in his life, but spent his all for
the cause of the suffering humanity. Charity gives him unmixed
pleasure. He who takes is blest but thrice blessed is he that gives.
For that pleasure consists in the fulfilment of one's life-mission. So
unlimited was his charity that when in this non-cooperation movement
he gave up his practice to serve his mother country he had no standing
income but a debt of about three lacs of rupees. For he never cared to
provide for the future. Had he wished it, he could have now become
one of the richest Zamindars of Bengal. But wealth has no charm for
those whose heart is moved by the sufferings of others. Even now when
he himself has taken the bowl of a beggar for the cause of his
country, the poor never return from his door disappointed. It reminds
us of a story we heard in our childhood that there lived once in our
locality a poor beggar, he was so kind-hearted that he used to give
away his day's earning to any of his fasting neighbours, while he
himself had to fast the whole day.
Christ once said to his disciples that their right hand should not
know what their left hand does. This is also true of Chitta Ranjan's
private charity. His charities have been many though the general
public know very little of them. He has a fine heart, which is ever
ready to help a fellow in distress. We shall here cite an instance
which though of a trifling nature compared with his public donations,
yet goes a great way in indicating the natural bent of his mind. About
five years back a poor boy who was a candidate for the Matriculation
Examination was going from door to door collecting money for his fees.
Accidentally he came to the house of a near relation of Chitta Ranjan.
This gentleman advised the boy to see Chitta Ranjan who would pay his
fees for the mere asking. The boy acted accordingly. Now Chitta Ranjan
rises late from his bed in the morning and the boy being impatient
asked a servant of the house if he could have an interview with Chitta
Ranjan. The servant was not in a happy mood and accordingly to get rid
of him answered him in the negative. The boy came back disappointed
and reported the matter to the former gentleman who then advised him
to go again and wait on the staircase without asking the favour of any
servant till Chitta Ranjan would come down and hear everything from
him personally. It was easy for the boy to act up to this advice for
no surly durwan ever blocks the door-way of Chitta Ranjan and the
custom of presenting visiting cards is unknown in his house. The boy
succeeded in getting an opportunity of telling his story to Chitta
Ranjan. He at once ordered to give the boy the whole amount of his
fees and also made an arrangement for his stay at Calcutta till the
examination was over. This is one of the many instances of Chitta
Ranjan's private charity which have never been known to the public.
Chitta Ranjan possesses a very tender heart which ever feels pained at
the suffering of others. As a devotee of Sri Krishna and Sri Gouranga
sympathy for the poor and the distressed is naturally a part and
parcel of his life. As we have already mentioned that he started an
orphanage at Purulia which was managed under the supervision of his
sister and was a boon to the suffering humanity till she was snatched
away by the cruel hands of death. He has spent a good deal in the
upkeeping of many orphanages and is now the president of the
Bhowanipur Orphanage which is managed by a band of self-less workers.
Chitta Ranjan is a great patron of learning. He has financially helped
many litterateurs and has borne the expenses of publishing their
works. For this act alone Bengali Literature will ever remain grateful
to him. He also gave pecuniary assistance to many educational
institutions; he was one of the special donors to the building fund of
the Belgachia Medical College. He also financed to a great extent the
literary conferences which were annually held for the cultivation of
Bengali Literature. The other day he presented about 350 rare
manuscripts of old Bengali literature to the Bangiya Sahitya
Parishad. In fact Chitta Ranjan has always been connected with almost
all the literary activities of this country which owed much to his
pecuniary assistance.
In concluding this chapter we should mention here that as a human
being Chitta Ranjan had some frailties in his private life, some
blemishes in his character; but an impartial review of his whole
private life would justify the remark:--
"Take him for all in all
We shall not look upon his like again."