# The Indian Biographical Dictionary (1915)/Banerjea, Babu Surendranath

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​Banerjea, Babu Surendranath, B.A., Editor, Bengalee, Calcutta; second son of Durga Charan Banerji, at one time the ablest allopathic-practitioner in Calcutta; born, 1848; educated at the Doveton College, Calcutta, where he shone brilliantly; B.A. (Cal) 1868; passed in England the competitive examination for the Indian Civil Service, 1869: after a tough but successful fight with the C.S. Commissioners about his age went out to Bengal, 1871: Assistant Magistrate at Sylhet; ceased ​to be a Member of the Civil Service, March, 1874: became Professor of English Literature in the Metropoliton Institution, Calcutta. 1876; Lecturer at the City College, 1877: joined the Free Church Institution and Duff College, 1881; founded the Ripou College, 1882; has made over to it by a formal trust deed property worth about Rs. 25,000; has been termed the Arnold of India; a great lover of and much loved by students; took over the weekly Bengalee from Mr. W. E. Banerjee in 1879 and has made it one of the best newspapers in all India; imprisoned for one month in the Civil side of the Presidency Jail, 1883, for contempt of Court in the celebrated idol case but Justice Norris afterwards made his "amende" to him by helping him in his lecturing mission in England in 1890; Member of the Calcutta Corporation, 1876; later Chairman of North Barrackpur Muncipality and in both capacities did much good to his countrymen and to Calcutta; his knowledge of municipal affairs and of the principles on which legislation should affect them is known to be of a high order; resigned his seat on the Corporation, 1899, as the final protest against the Calcutta Municipal Bill of 1897; established the Indian Association, 1876. with the late Mr. A. M. Bose and through it commenced constitutional agitation for the redress of grievances in India; represented Calcutta Corporation in the Bengal Legislative Council, 1893; President of the XI session of the Indian National Congress at Poona 1865, and of the XVIII at Ahmadabad, 1903; elected a Fellow of the Calcutta University by the Graduates, 1904; Honorary Magistrate of Barrackpur, till 1906; visited England several times for political lecturing, notably in 1889. when he created a great impression by his powerful orations; gave evidence before the Welby Commission, 1897; the only Indian delegate to the Imperial Press Conference, 1909; as a public speaker he is famous in all India and is also well-known in England; a discriminating English critic describing his oratory, says: "Whatever the subject, he strikes fire at once. Fact after fact, argument after argument. all bearing directly on the point in discussion succeed each other and as each fresh view is presented and led forward to a logical conclusion the rounds of applause that greet him prove that his demonstration has told and has been felt by all as legitimate and just." Like the classic orators of the West, he melts himself in the case he represents. Collected edition of his speeches published and republished by Lahiri & Co., Calcutta, and latest English speeches by Ganesh & Co., Madras. Brief biography by G. A. Natesan & Co., Madras. Social reformer; though himself a Brahman, lives in European fashion; has an only son and five daughters: Recreation: Gardening, walking, reading and attending Swadeshi meetings. Address: Manirampore, Barrackpur; Bengalee Office, Colootola, Calcutta.