Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray (A Collection of Writings Volume VA)

This is the fifth volume of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Rachana Sankalan, the project that the University of Calcutta developed in collaboration with Acharya Prafulla Chandra College, to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Acharya. The volume comprises two parts: one in Bengali and the other in English. It has systematically collated Prafulla Chandra Roy's writings and speeches on social reforms, education, literature, science, commerce and industries, as well as his correspondences with dignitaries of the time. It helps us to understand the man in a holistic manner.

The Acharya was a teacher and scholar par excellence; he advocated self-reliance; he stood for forging a link between industry and academics; he was a relentless nationalist who sought to combine nationalism with social reform; he envisaged a nationbuilding process for our country that would be able to meet the challenges of modernity. At a time when globalization is constantly infringing on our indigenous base of polity, society, economy and culture, the thoughts and ideas of the first Palit Professor in Chemistry of our University are increasingly assuming relevance in our fight to create a better world to live in. The volume should generate considerable interest amongst the reading public.

I take this opportunity to put on record sincere thanks to Professor Anil Bhattacharya and his dedicated team without whom this volume, like other preceding volumes, could not have been published. In this commercial age the dictum of ‘Labour of love' does not carry much weight. But Professor Bhattacharya and his colleagues have proved themselves to be exception to the rule.