Two Rare Press Reports on Sri Aurobindo

Dear Friends,

Throughout the month of August, we have published a special series on Sri Aurobindo. As the concluding installment of the said series, we have published two rare press reports of Sri Aurobindo.

The first report had appeared on 16 February 1910 in the Bengalee. According to this newspaper, Sri Aurobindo was present on the evening of 15 February at the Chandpal Ghat of Calcutta to receive Shyam Sunder Chakravarty and Satish Chandra Chatterjee.

Satish Chandra Chatterjee (16 March 1873—22 June 1938) had joined the Brajmohan College at Barisal in 1901 where, under the influence of Aswini Kumar Dutt, he plunged himself into human welfare and played a pivotal role in transforming the ‘Barisal Swadesh Bandhab Samiti’ (established by Aswini Kumar) into a huge institution which had 159 centres in the entire district. In 1908 he was arrested for his revolutionary activities and imprisoned for two years. After his acquittal in February 1910 he rejoined Brajmohan College as a professor but was forced to leave his services. Afterwards he taught at Ripon College and City College of Calcutta. In 1924 he returned to Brajmohan College as the Principal and served the college in the said capacity till the end of his life.

Shyam Sunder Chakravarty (12 July 1869—7 September 1932) was a noted journalist and orator. In his initial years he was connected with the Anushilan Samiti and the nationalist journal, Sandhya. He was also associated with the Bande Mataram of which he was one of the chief contributors. In 1908 he was arrested and imprisoned at the Mandalay Prison at Rangoon. After his release in 1910 he returned to Calcutta and joined the Bengalee as an assistant editor. Afterwards he started the publication of his famous daily journal, the Servant. When the Non-Cooperation Movement began in 1920 he joined it and was imprisoned for six months. At that time he was also the President of the Bengal Provincial Congress. His published works include Through Solitude and Sorrow and My Mother’s Face.

The second press report had appeared on 7 April 1910 in the pages of The Times informing the readers that an arrest warrant had been issued in Sri Aurobindo’s name for his article which was published in the Karmayogin on 25 December 1909. The article in question was his famous open letter headed To My Countrymen.

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

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5 Replies to “Two Rare Press Reports on Sri Aurobindo

  1. History will be grateful to you, Anurag, for digging out these gems from the obscure oblivion. Even though the name of Pandit Shyamsundar is mentioned here and there (up to Maulana Azad’s réminiscences), who remembers Satish Chandra Chatterjee ?
    Sincere thanks.
    Prithwin-da

  2. Anurag,

    We are really fortunate that because of you we are all informed about great patriots, Blessed sons of our motherland, the freedom fighters who sacrificed their “all” seeking freedom for the country and the countrymen — esp who were mentored by ours Beloved Master…..

    Your articles give great impetus in looking towards oneself to make it more and more OPEN to the forces of Divine Mother and Beloved Master….. many many thanks…..

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