Swamiji and Joe
Her name was Miss Josephile Macleod. Everybody fondly called her “Joe”. She was born and brought up in the lap of luxury and opulence.
Fifteen students were given scholarships at a function organized by the Barasat Gate Cultural Association, a well-known organization involved in social service in Hooghly recently.
Each student was given a Sri Aurobindo Student Scholarship worth Rs 4,000.
The association observes the birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo on the last Sunday of August. Sri Aurobindo was born on 15 August, 1872.
Advertisement
The association has been holding workshops and seminars to propagate the message of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo in the auditorium of Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sri Aurobindo Nilay along with social service for the past three decades.
Mr Sanjay Bhattacharya, joint secretary of the association and the key person behind holding of the seminars said professor Subhendu Majumdar, former teacher of Chandernagore College had discussed the life of Sri Aurobindo in Baroda. Mrs Keya Niyogi sang songs befitting the function.
In 1893, Sri Aurobindo, then Aurobindo Ghosh, came back to India from England and joined the land department of the Raja of Baroda. Later, he joined the Baroda College. A scholar par excellence, Ghosh contributed his articles in different newspapers. His article, ‘New Lamps for the Old’ was a head turner. He was a regular contributor to Induprakash. Ghosh stayed in Baroda for 12 years and met many Indian scholars, including Sister Nivedita in 1902.
Mr Bhattacharya said a proposal to give scholarships to more students is under active consideration.
Important personalities, who had visited the association and took part in programmes held in Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sri Aurobindo Nilay include former Bengal Governors Gopal Krishna Gandhi and M K Narayanan, well-known writer Sanjib Chattopadhyay, historian Hossenur Rahaman, Swami Purnatmananda, scholars Ananda Reddy and Aloke Pandey among others.
Advertisement
