Why in the News?

This newscard is an excerpt from the article originally published in The Hindu.

Young Bengal Movement and Henry Derozio

Who was Henry Vivian Louis Derozio?

Birth–Death: Born 1809, died- 22 in 1831; Indo-Portuguese origin.
Identity: Radical thinker, poet, and educator in British India.
Recognition: Called the first national poet of modern India; pioneer of Anglo-Indian poetry.
Influences: Inspired by Enlightenment ideals and the French Revolution.
Career: Became lecturer at Hindu College, Calcutta in 1826 at just 17.
Role: Inspired students with rationalism, liberty, and free thought.
Writings: Poems (1827), The Fakeer of Jungheera (1828), and To India – My Native Land (first modern patriotic poem in English).
Themes: Expressed India’s decline with images of a caged eagle and a broken instrument; advocated freedom and abolition of slavery.
Dismissal: Removed from Hindu College in 1831 on charges of spreading atheism.

Formation: Radical group of his students, also called Derozians.
Association: Founded the Academic Association, debating social and political reform.
Ideals: Advocated rationalism, women’s rights, freedom of thought; opposed caste, superstition, idolatry.
Political Role: In 1843, with George Thompson, formed India’s first political party – Bengal British India Society.
Notable Member: Radhanath Sikdar, mathematician who first calculated Mount Everest’s height and openly resisted colonial injustices.
Perception: Described by missionary Alexander Duff as a “new race of men”; historian Rosinka Chaudhuri called them India’s “first radicals.”
Legacy and Intellectual Impact:
- Awakening: Though short-lived, the movement sparked Bengal’s intellectual revolution.
- Seeds of Reform: Laid foundation for later reformist and nationalist currents.
- Independence of Mind: Marked a sharp break from Macaulay’s vision of Anglicised Indians — Derozians were assertive and original.

[UPSC 2021] Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?

Options: (a) Annie Besant (b) Debendranath Tagore (c) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar * (d) Sarojini Naidu