University of Mumbai is one amongst the exalted trinity- the universities of Calcutta, Mumbai and Madras were the first three universities established by the British in this country.
Birth of The University
Although the University of Bombay was incorporated on the 18th July, 1957, it was the culmination of a long drawn process which was initiated in 1835 when Macaulay, in his capacity as the President of the General Committee of Public Instruction and as the Law Member in the Government, wrote his oft-quoted Minutes of February 2, 1835 strongly favouring English education in India. Responding to the despatch, the Court of Directors agreed to establish Universities at Bombay and Calcutta on the model of London University and also agreed to have one more University at Madras or in any part of India. Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor General appointed a Committee to prepare a detailed scheme, which was submitted in 1856. It was accepted by the Government of India by their Resolution dated 12th December 1856, indeed the day of conception of the University of Mumbai although the birth admittedly took place on the 18th July, 1857.
Students of Revolution
The students enrolled in these three universities in 1857, the year known as animus tristis (mournful year), can be aptly considered as the students of revolution. When the whole of North and Central India was waging the first war of independence against the might of the then nascent British empire, and a revolutionary wind was blowing across the country, the universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were born. The first shots of the war of independence were fired in May 1857, and the fire engulfed a large part of the northern and central India very soon. The month of June was a mute witness to the heroic deeds of soldiers under Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, of the relentless war waged at Kanpur by Nana Sahib, adopted son of Baji Rao II the last Peshwa, and the major battle in Delhi where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal King had been earlier proclaimed the 'Emperor of Hindustan'. In July 1857, Havelock defeated forces led by Nana Sahib and in the days to follow, let lose a reign of terror in Kanpur. In its earlier years Bombay university produced leaders of courage and fortitude. Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak were amongst those stalwarts.
The recipient of the first degree awarded at the First Convocation of the University of Mumbai on Monday, the 28th April, 1862 was Mahadev Govind Ranade of Elphinstone College. He was denied for some time the judgeship in the High Court mainly because of his connections with socio-political movements. Chief Justice Westropp once wrote to him- "Your writings come in the way of your promotion. If you want promotion, spare these great efforts". Ranade's reply showed of what mettle he was made. He wrote "I am thankful to you, sir. So far as my wants are concerned, they are few and I can live on very little. Concerning my country's welfare what seems to me true, I must speak out". In its very first graduate, the university epitomised its idealism and generated an ever lasting resonance and vibrancy.
Diamond Jubilee
The destiny of this university, since its birth, has been intimately linked with the destiny of the Indian nation. In the diamond jubilee year of the university, events of far reaching import were affecting the nation. The first World War had left a profound influence on the political developments in India, more so in the Punjab. In February 1918, Rowlatt Bills were introduced in the Imperial Legislative Council, aimed at introducing stringent repressive measures through arbitrary powers to the executive. This incited the people against the British rule and inflamed their passions. Gandhiji started a satyagraha campaign in February, 1919, calling these Bills as 'unjust, subversive of the principles of liberty and justice, and destructive of the elementary rights of individuals. On first March, a meeting of the signatories to the satyagraha pledge was held at Bombay under the presidentship of Gandhiji, and the following day, the civil disobedience was launched. Martial Law was imposed in Punjab. The subsequent events progressed at a rapid pace culminating in the massacre of nearly 2000 persons at the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on the 13th April, 1919.
With a wave of protests and resentment sweeping the nation following the carnage at Amritsar, the Government of India had to accept the demand to constitute the Disorders Enquiry Committee (known as the Hunter Committee) under Lord Hunter, on 14th October, 1919. Once again this University became a part of history of independence when Sir Chimanlal, who had taken over as the vice-chancellor of theuniversity in March 1917, was nominated as one of the three Indian members of the eight member Hunter Committee. At the time of writing the final report, serious difference erupted between the Indian and the other Members. Lord Hunter drafted the report to which the European members agreed, and the Indian members wrote their own report.
Of all the Vice-Chancellors of this University to-date, Sir Chimanlal served the longest term of twelve years and made a profound impact not only on the academic and social environment, but also on the national polity.
The Decisive Decade
The post-Jallianwala Bagh decade was perhaps the most decisive in the march towards Swarajya. A special session of the Congress was convened in Calcutta in September, 1920 where Gandhiji moved a resolution on non-cooperation, including the boycott of government aided schools and colleges, law courts, Legislative Councils as well as of foreign goods. The Congress resolution stated: 'we consider gradual withdrawal of boys and girls from schools and colleges and suggest earnest attempts to establish national institutions'. This resolve constituted a significant milestone for bringing the youth and academia in the national mainstream. At Lahore, students of DAV college and Islamia College walked out of their colleges. At Amritsar, the professors and students of Khalsa College, forced the college Council to pass a resolution transforming Khalsa College to national institution, completely bereft of the official control.A National medical college was established in Bombay.
Vasudev Gogate, a student of Fergusson College, Pune fired at the then acting Governor of Bombay, Sir Ernest Hotson when the Governor was entering the reading room of the college library. The sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad and several others who walked with dignity to the gallows, and of thousands of those put behind bars, brought the country nearer to the goal of independence. August Kranti of 1942 launched in the city shook the foundation of the empire. Smt. Usha Mehta, a soldier of that Kranti and an old student of this University, was rightly honoured with doctorate last year.
A Time For Introspection
Sarat Chandra Bose, in his address at the All India Students' Conference at Lahore in 1936 said:"I look to the youth of my country to evolve a movement, essentially political and economic, but at the same time, social and cultural... young men and women, I call upon you to take a vow in your minds. I will not rest. I will not rest until the freedom of my country has been achieved. I will not rest until unemployment and poverty have become things of the past. I will not rest until the masses - the peasants and workers - have come to their own.' This clarion call needs to be responded to, especially when fifty years after independence, one third of our population lives below the poverty line, nearly half of the young children are malnourished, and one person dies of tuberculosis every minute. Freedom from want and hunger, and from disease and deprivation is yet to be secured.
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