The Freethought Party of India (FPI) in tandem with the Social Reform Organisation AMOFOI celebrated the 217th birthday of renowned Benthamite utilitarian reformist statesman lord Macaulay, the pioneer of quality English medium education in India and the architect of the Indian Penal Code of 1860.
The celebration, a book release and a seminar were all held here on Tuesday. The book Freethought Party of India’s BROOM of lord Macaulay’s English Education & Ethics Enough to Make India 100% Clean & Civilised was released by Congress leader and former Minister Niranjan Patnaik. Patnaik maintained that because of Macaulay’s determined efforts quality English medium education got introduced in India, and, thereby, he has become a benefactor of India in propagating against superstitions and social hatred.
Patnaik added that people of India are sure to gain very much if the Central Government comes forward to introduce uniform quality education in English all over the country. “In the IT global market, Indians are already ahead of the Chinese and others because of Macaulay’s English medium education, and, therefore, lord Macaulay deserves to be respected by all Indians,” he observed.
FPI general secretary Prof B Ramchandra CST Voltaire strongly argued that Macaulay’s English education is a must for every child in India towards achieving equality, human dignity and gender equality. India should go in for a uniform Civil Code to do away with all the evil practices such as Triple Talaq and polygamy on the lines of Macaulay’s prescription.
Presiding over the seminar, political scientist Prof KP Padhy said English education is much needed as liberty, equality, human dignity, rationalism and democracy cannot be promoted in India in the absence of English medium education.
Prominent among others who participated in the seminar were former IAS officer Kalyan Ray, FPI president Prof. Dr Bijayanand Kar, writer Prof Prassana Kumar Karbar, social reformer and columnist Manas Jena, historian Dr Hemanta Kumar Parija, advocate Debdarshi Nayak, Prof Sashikanta Acharya, columnist Tusarkant, social worker Basanti Acharya, AMOFOI cofounder Swapna Bijayini, Ambedkarite activist Madhusudan Yadav, senior journalist and columnist Sugyan Choudhury, FPI vice-president Hairsh Chandra Kar and XIMB PG student Ipsita Bibhudarshee.