ইংরেজি শিখে ব্রিটিশ শাসনকে সেবা দেওয়ার মত যোগ্য হয়ে উঠছেন কলকাতার আলালেরা। এই হয়ে ওঠার
সংবাদ ক্রমশঃ পৌঁছে যাচ্ছে সাগরপারে এক্কেবারে সাম্রাজ্যের অন্তঃস্থলে। বোধহয় বেন্টিঙ্ক
শাসকদের মধ্যে প্রথম দেশিয় সাম্রাজ্য বন্ধুদের এই উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষা বুঝতে পারছিলেন
এবং এই তথ্য পৌঁছে দিচ্ছিলেন সাম্রাজ্যের অন্তঃস্তলে। বিষয়টি গুরুত্বপুর্ণ। এটি
নিয়ে ব্রিটিশ পার্লামেন্টে বিশদে আলোচনা হয়। (http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1852/may/11/natives-of-india#S3V0121P0_18520511_HOL_5)। পার্লামেন্টে প্রশ্ন
ওঠে সাম্রাজ্যের সাব্জেক্টরা কি সাম্রাজ্য চালাতে তৈরি? ১৮৫২ সালের ১১ মে তারিখে
পার্লামেন্টে NATIVES OF INDIA নামে যে আলোচনা হয়। ভারতীয়দের উচ্চপদে চাকরি না দেওয়ার যে নীতি সাম্রাজ্য গ্রহণ
করেছিল, তাঁর বিরুদ্ধে লর্ড বেন্টিঙ্ক প্রস্তাব আনেন। পার্লামেন্টের সেই আলচনাটি তুলে দেওয়া গেল।
§LORD MONTEAGLE presented a petition from George James Gordon, that certain
Propositions set forth in his petition connected with the Position and
Political Rights of the Natives of India might be taken into consideration. His
Lordship said that this petition, although it was signed by only one person,
represented, as he had good authority for stating, the feelings of many
enlightened, wealthy, and respectable Natives of India on the subject of their
position and their political rights under the last Act for the renewal of the
East India Company's Charter. The exclusion of the natives of India from
holding offices in the Government of their own country had been rigidly acted
up to in former times; but a clause, recommended or supported, as he believed,
by the high authority of Lord William Bentinck, was made part of the last Charter
Act of the 3rd and 4th of William IV., and affirmed the principle of an
opposite policy. It was to the following effect:— That no native of our territories in
the East Indies, nor any natural-born subject of His Majesty resident therein,
should, by reason of his religion, place of birth, descent, colour, or any of
them, be disabled from holding any place, office, or employment under the same
Company. In consequence of that
enactment, which established their eligibility for the public service of India,
a considerable number of natives had been introduced by Lord W. Bentinck into
what were called "uncovenanted offices," both revenue and judicial,
in which he believed their conduct had been highly creditable; yet,
notwithstanding his authority, notwithstanding likewise the result of the
experiment tried, and the spirit of the clause he had cited, there had been a
practical exclusion of them from all "covenanted services," as they
were called, from the passing of the last Charter up to the present time. The Charter Act was construed so as to declare the 497eligibility of natives to
"uncovenanted" offices only, whereas its words are general, and
without such limitation. In that interval there had been a great development of
education in India, and a great expansion of intellect and of knowledge among
the natives—circumstances which had not only increased a sense of the
oppressiveness of the law thus construed, hut had also created a greater desire
on the part of the natives to be employed in the public service. All this was
fully stated in the petition which he then held in his hand; and petitions to
the same effect would soon approach their Lordships' table from native landed
proprietors, merchants, and traders of Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay. When such
petitions were laid upon their Lordships' table, men well acquainted with India
would be able to inform their Lordships how far they represented the sentiments
of all the weight, and wealth, and intelligence of the educated natives of
India. It was due to the petitioners who had placed the petition in his hands,
that he should state what was its prayer. They adverted to the approaching
renewal of the East India Company's Charter; they also called their Lordships'
attention to the present state of the finances of India; they impressed on
their Lordships the necessity of applying the most stringent measures of
economy to the expenditure of the Government in Europe and in Asia; they asked
for the abolition of useless offices, suggested the expediency of reducing many
of the official salaries, and recommended an alteration in the tenure of
certain appointments, on the ground that at present India lost the services of
some of the best officers just at the moment when by experience and knowledge
they were best qualified to fill their situations. They also complained that,
although natives had distinguished themselves in subordinate offices, they were
excluded from holding the higher class of appointments, and prayed their
Lordships that a more generous construction should be practically put on the
87th Section of the Act, by enlarging the field of employment for the native
subjects of Her Majesty. They also called attention to the necessity of
completing the system of education by adding to schools and colleges an Asiatic
university. They also complained of utter neglect shown to the labours of the
law, on which high intellectual powers and a considerable amount of revenue had
been expended. They called for the enactment of a consistent code, 498and the adoption of general measures for
further amending the state of the law in India. He (Lord Monteagle) wished the
attention of the Committee upstairs to be specially directed to these
allegations of the petition, because the people of India now took a deep
interest in what took place in this country with respect to Indian affairs, and
in British legislation as affecting their interests, and they were now more
sensitive than ever with regard to the legislation and even the discussions of
the Imperial Parliament, in England, as affecting their rights and interests.
He wished also to call their attention to the evidence which had been given by
the late Lord William Bentinck after his return to England, when examined
before the Select Committee on Steain Navigation with respect to the growing
capacity and intelligence of the people of India, which were advancing not only
in proportion to the diffusion of education, but in proportion to the
development of their material interests. This progress could not be arrested or
even retarded. His Lordship had said that "every indigo and coffee
plantation, the Glocester mills, the works of every description moved by steam,
the iron foundries, the coal mines worked after the European fashion, and the
other great establishments which we see around us in Calcutta, are so many
great schools of instruction, the founders of which are the real improvers of
their country;" and he further added that, among the causes of progress
now so rapidly in action to render India so different from what it had been
twenty years ago, were to be enumerated every commercial enterprise, every
manufacturing improvement, and every extension of agriculture—all which had
tended to improve and to expand the capacity of the people of India, and to
stimulate their desire for still further progress and advancement. In
presenting this petition, he neither sought to prejudge the question, or to
commit himself to a distinct opinion. But he hoped that he had convinced the
House that the subjects he had touched upon were fit subjects for examination
before the Committee, and that an inquiry which did not include them would be
unsatisfactory and incomplete.
Petition read, and referred to
the Select Committee on the East India Company's Charter.
House
adjourned to Friday next.
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