Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyay is a remarkable man. He is commonly known by the sobriquet Vidyasagar, meaning “ocean of knowledge.” An educationist, writer and social reformer, he attempted to challenge and change the rigid social system into which he was born. Through his literary contributions and social reform activities, he pioneered a social and cultural movement which came to be known as the “Bengal Renaissance.”
Vidyasagar’s literary work is exceptional. Only a few polymaths could hope to achieve what he did. He made the Bengali language uniform – removed some letters, added others, laid out how many there must be, and prescribed the exact shape and sound of each letter. He also made a rhyme to introduce each letter to the child who is being introduced to the language.
His treatise, Barno Porichoy (An Introduction to the Alphabet), remains an essential reading for anyone who wants to learn Bengali. I understood the importance of Vidyasagar’s path-breaking work only when I delved deeper into his life.
All his life, Vidyasagar championed for the emancipation of women. He campaigned against child marriage. At the same time, he propagated widow remarriage. His views, years ahead of his time, had a lasting impact, far beyond the boundaries of Bengal.
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