The Serampore college community celebrated the 263rd birth anniversary of Rev. Dr William Carey, one of the founders of Serampore college and also called the father of modern mission. Dr William Carey was a British Baptist missionary, Bible translator, botanist, social reformer and others. The celebration of Carey Day is chosen to recollect, remember and ponder upon Dr William Carey as a great social reformer or transformer.
On 12 August this month, the Serampore College Carey Day celebration outreach team reached Serampore Girls High School. To make aware students about the historical importance of Serampore and the contribution of Dr William Carey to uplift the then society which was in the grip of superstitious beliefs and engrossed in evil practices. Just like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, Dr William Carey was also a great reformer and had stressed on female education.
On the occasion were school headmistress Dr Ivy Sarkar, Rev Dr Dipankar Haldar, associate professor and chaplain of the College, along with Lamgousiem Doungel BD4 from Assam and others. A rally from Serampore college reached the cemetery of William Carey which marked the beginning of the Carey Day celebration, besides placing wreaths at the tomb, prayer, scripture reading was followed by a valuable message.
William Carey’s involvement in the battle against social injustices was evident from the inception of missionary zeal in his life from Europe.
Shortly after his arrival in India, in 1802, he began an investigation on the commission of the Governor into religious killings among Hindu people in India. Carey made special efforts to collect the data of sati and he reported that nearly 300 widow wives were burnt alive around Calcutta and about 10,000 in India within a short span of time. Carey started his tireless campaign against this gory practice. He published many articles against sati and worked with Raja Ram Mohan Roy, another great social reformer of Bengal. At last, Carey could persuade William Bentinck, who was considerate to pass a regulation on 4 December, 1829, declaring sati as an illegal and criminal practice.
Carey also fought for the eradication of another evil practice called ghat murders. This was a practice by which the sick and dying were left by the riverbank to die. There was also another evil practice which allowed the rejection or burning of lepers by their families. Carey taught people to love the lepers. He provided medicines and established a hospital for them. Still another social evil which was prevalent in those days was the cult of thug which was a belief that the goddess granted sanction to certain people to strangle others and to take their valuables.
Carey’s mission pioneered in emancipation of women through education by establishing schools for girls and women. He also promoted the idea of saving money in the banks by the poor. Therefore, he pointed out that the liberal education system should reach the grassroots of the society.