Ravenshaw College is a historic landmark with deep roots in Odisha’s previous.
New Delhi:
The historic Ravenshaw College, initially based as Ravenshaw Faculty in Odisha’s Cuttack in 1868, is on the centre of a political slugfest following Union Training Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s suggestion to rename the establishment. The college, which was named after Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, a British bureaucrat who performed a key position in its institution, is now the topic of a heated debate.
Ravenshaw College is extra than simply an academic establishment in Odisha; it’s a historic landmark with deep roots within the state’s previous. The establishment was established simply two years after the devastating Odisha Famine of 1866, often known as the “Na’Anka Durbhikhya” which noticed an estimated million individuals dying of illness and hunger.
The school, which grew to become a full-fledged college in 2006, at the moment hosts almost 8,000 college students throughout 9 faculties and 33 departments.
Mr Pradhan’s remarks on renaming Ravenshaw College have been made throughout an occasion in Cuttack, the place he questioned the legacy of Thomas Ravenshaw who was the state’s commissioner through the time of the devastating famine. “There’s a want for a reputation change. What did Ravenshaw, after whom the college is called, do through the famine,” the Union Minister mentioned, including that it was his private opinion.
Mr Pradhan instructed that intellectuals in Odisha ought to debate whether or not it’s acceptable to proceed honouring a determine related to such a darkish interval within the state’s historical past.
Political Backlash
Mr Pradhan’s suggestion has been met with robust opposition from the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress, each of which have demanded an apology from the Union Minister. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused Mr Pradhan of missing an understanding of Odisha’s historical past and the contributions made by Mr Ravenshaw to schooling within the state.
“It’s a very unlucky assertion given by Pradhan below the duvet of Odisha ‘Asmita’ (pleasure). He ought to have learn just a little historical past earlier than doing so,” Mr Mohanty mentioned, as quoted by information company PTI.
The BJD’s criticism was not remoted. Congress MLA from Cuttack, Sofia Firdous, additionally weighed in, saying that “Ravenshaw is an emotion” for the individuals of Odisha. She argued that as a substitute of specializing in renaming the establishment, efforts ought to be directed in the direction of enhancing its standing as a world-class college.
Regardless of the backlash, the BJP rapidly rallied to Pradhan’s defence. Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister KV Singhdeo and Greater Training Minister Suryabanshi Suraj reiterated that Mr Pradhan’s remarks have been his private opinion and shouldn’t be politicized.
“The comment on Ravenshaw was the Union Minister’s private opinion. He’s free to offer his opinion on points,” Mr Singhdeo mentioned.
Ravenshaw’s Historic Legacy
The historical past of Ravenshaw Faculty is intertwined with the historical past of recent Odisha. The school, which started as a small faculty in 1841, was elevated to a school with intermediate courses in 1868, largely as a result of efforts of Thomas Ravenshaw, the Commissioner of the Orissa Division from 1865 to 1878. By 1875, it had grow to be a full-fledged first-grade faculty, and through the years, it expanded to supply postgraduate courses.
The school’s connection to the Odisha famine is advanced. Whereas the famine occurred throughout Mr Ravenshaw’s tenure, it was additionally this catastrophic occasion that triggered the necessity for schooling within the state, ultimately resulting in the institution of the faculty with contributions from native rulers, such because the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, who donated funds for the faculty’s upkeep.
It produced scores of illustrious alumni who went on to form Odisha, together with Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das, and Biju Patnaik.
