ରେଭେନସା ନାମ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ବିବାଦକୁ ନେଇ ପୁରାତନ ଛାତ୍ର ସଂଘ Whatsup ଗ୍ରୁପରେ ଝଡ଼

ପୂର୍ବ ପ୍ରଶାସକଙ୍କ ମତ ଉପରେ ମନ୍ତବ୍ୟ ରଖିଲେ ପୁରାତନ ଛାତ୍ର
କଟକ : (ବିଜୟ ସାହୁ )-ଅବସରପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ଭାରତୀୟ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ସେବା ଅଧିକାରୀ ମିଷ୍ଟର ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ମିଶ୍ରଙ୍କ ଗୋଟିଏ ପୋଷ୍ଟ- We Ravenshaw Vian Group -ରେ ପଢ଼ିଲି । ଏହି ପୋଷ୍ଟଟି କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଶିକ୍ଷା ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ମିଷ୍ଟର ଧର୍ମେନ୍ଦ୍ର ପ୍ରଧାନ ଥୋମାସ ଏଡ଼ୱାଡ଼  ରେଭେନ୍ସାଙ୍କ ନାମରେ ନାମିତ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ବିଶ୍ଵ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟର ନାମ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ପାଇଁ ଯେଉଁ ପ୍ରସ୍ତାବ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ସେଇ ପ୍ରସ୍ତାବ ସମର୍ଥନରେ ସେ କରିଛନ୍ତି ।
ଭାରତର ସମ୍ବିଧାନ ତାଙ୍କୁ ନିଜର ମତ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅଧିକାର ଦେଇଛି । ତେଣୁ ସେ ମତ ଦେବାକୁ ଆମେ ବିରୋଧ କରି ପାରିବା ନାହିଁ । କିନ୍ତୁ ତାଙ୍କର ମତକୁ ଖଣ୍ଡନ କରିବା ଅଧିକାର ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ଭାରତୀୟଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ବିଧାନ ଦେଇଛି ।

(1)ଭାରତରେ ଜଣେ ସାଧାରଣ ନାଗରିକ ଭାବରେ ,( 2) 1971 ରୁ 1978 ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ରେଭେନ୍ସାର MERIT ଭିତ୍ତିକ ଚୟନରେ ଜଣେ ବିଜ୍ଞାନ ଓ କଳା ଛାତ୍ର ଭାବରେ ,(3) 1967-68 ରୁ ଏହି କଲେଜକୁ ପ୍ରତିଦିନ ଦେଖିବା ସୁଯୋଗ ପାଇଥିବା ଜଣେ କଟକ ସହରର ହାଇସ୍କୁଲ ଛାତ୍ର ଭାବରେ ଓ( 4 )ପ୍ରାୟ ଅର୍ଧ ଶତାବ୍ଦୀ କାଳ ରେଭେନ୍ସା କଲେଜ ସୌଗନ୍ଧ ମିଶ୍ରିତ  ପାଣି ପବନରେ ବଢ଼ିବାରେ ଏବଂ ମୋର ବୌଦ୍ଧିକ ପରିସରକୁ ସମୃଦ୍ଧ କରିବା କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ରେଭେନ୍ସାର ଦାନକୁ ପୈଠ କରିବା ମୋର ଅବଶ୍ୟ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟ । ଅନ୍ୟଥା ରେଭେନ୍ସା ନିକଟରେ ମୁଁ ଅଭିଶପ୍ତ ହେଇ ଯିବି । ତେଣୁ ମୋର ମତ ରଖୁଛି ।

ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ର ଏକ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ Mental Prejudice  ରେ ବିଶ୍ଵ ବିଦ୍ୟାଳୟ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧିକୁ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ କରିବା କଥା ସିନା ଉଠେଇଛନ୍ତି ,ଆଢୁଆଳରେ ତାଙ୍କର ରହିଛି ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କ ଭାରତର ସମସ୍ତ ଐତିହ୍ୟ ବହନ କରୁଥିବା ଶିକ୍ଷାନୁଷ୍ଠାନକୁ ଧ୍ୱଂସ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରୋଜେକ୍ଟ ସହ ଗଭୀର ସମ୍ପର୍କ ।

ଡକ୍ଟର ପ୍ରାଣକୃଷ୍ଣ ପରିଜା ରେଭେନ୍ସା କଲେଜର ଶତାବ୍ଦୀ ସଂବତ୍ସର ପାଳନ ଅବସରରେ ଯେଉଁ SOUVENIR ପାଇଁ ଲେଖିଥିଲେ ସେଥିରେ ଏକ ମହାନ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିଭଙ୍ଗୀ ଉପସ୍ଥାପନ କରିଥିଲେ ।  “It is the function of college and the university to foster such a spirit among the alumni so that they can develop a receptive mental attitude and help in building upon a culture worthy of the mother land .
The other inhibitory factor is prejudice . Prejudice is the formation of an opinion without due  consideration .This is a human failing which dies hard.It is born often from irrational attachment to our traditional culture ,such as group prejudice ,and some times  it is born of personal likes and dislikes . What may be the reason it should be eliminated in developing personality . How prejudice or a bias lead to disastrous consequence , is examplified in classical example of Ekalavy . This is usually cited as an example of noble sacrifice on the part  of Ekalavya . But if you look at it from another angle it is glaring example of bias or a partiality on the part of Drone who is a teacher .”

-P   Parija  Education in Universities .

ଅବଶ୍ୟ ମୋର ଧାରଣା ନାହିଁ ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ରଙ୍କ ଏପରି ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ likes / dislikes , personal prejudice ଅଛି କି ନାହିଁ , ଅଥବା ଏହା ତାଙ୍କର BJP Group prejudice କି ନୁହେଁ ।

ମାତ୍ର କିଛି ଧାଡିରେ John Beames  Memoirs of a Bengal Civilian ରେ ଥୋମାସ ଏଡ଼ୱାଡ଼ଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଟିପ୍ପଣୀ ପଢି ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ରଙ୍କ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଅସ୍ମିତା ଏଭଳି  ଧରାଶାୟୀ  ହେଇଗଲା ଯେ ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବଙ୍କୁ ନ’ଅଙ୍କ ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷର କଳଙ୍କିତ ଖଳ ନାୟକ କରିଦେଲେ ।
ମୋର ଦୃଢ଼ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଭାବରେ ସେଇ Memoirs କୁ ପୂରା ପଢି ନ ଥିବେ । ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ରଙ୍କ ଭଳି ବିଦ୍ୱାନ ଉପଦେଷ୍ଟାମାନେ ଏହି କିଛି ଧାଡି ଫଟୋ କପି କରି ମନ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କୁ ଧରେଇ ଦେଇଥିବେ ଓ ସେ ପୂର୍ବାପର
କୌଣସି କଥା ନ ବୁଝି ବିଷୟଟି ଉଠେଇ ଥିବେ ।

John Beames ଲେଖିଥିଲେ –
” Thomas Edward Ravenshaw , the commissioner ,was a little king in Odissa. He had salute of 12 guns . He is a kindly, patriarchal sort of old man , grey-headed and stout and quite free from any official stiffness and haughtiness. I had no great  respect for his abilities, nor any one else . But he had much experience and knew  his Orissa and his Oriyas thoroughly . They loved him as much as they are capable of  loving  European .His very slowness and mudulling, hesitating ways commended themselves to the sluggish Oriya mind . They touched some answering strings in their souls .He was one of those men, a not uncommon type in India who live for their their work only . …. But he governed efficiently if not brilliantly , a country somewhat larger than Wales , was a first-rate shot  and a good judge of a horse , an average un pretentious English Gentle man infact . I certainly did stir up him to doing many things which he would not have done of his own accord . But he was very easily led by the orthodox Hindu faction which were very much most powerful in Orissa .
( Page 221)

ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ର ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଜାଣିଥିବେ Gun Salute କଣ ? ଓଡ଼ିଶାରେ କ, ଖ, ଗ ଦେଶୀୟ ରାଜା ମହାରାଜାମାନେ 
ଥୋମାସ ଏଡ଼ୱାଡ଼ଙ୍କ ଠାରୁ କେଉଁ କେଉଁ ମାନେ ଅଧିକ Gun Salute ପାଉଥିଲେ ?
Gun Salute ଅର୍ଥ ପଦବୀର ପାହଚ ।
ତେଣୁ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବ କେବଳ ମୟୁରଭଞ୍ଜ ଯାଇ ମାସ ମାସ ଛୁଟି କାଟୁଥିଲେ ତଥ୍ୟଟି କେଉଁଠି ପାଇଲେ ? ଯଦି ଯାଉଥିଲେ କୌଣସି ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ଯାଉ ନ ଥିଲେ । ଓଡ଼ିଶାରେ ଶିକ୍ଷାର ବିକାଶ ପାଇଁ , ଖାଦ୍ୟ ଶସ୍ୟ ପରିସ୍ଥିତି ଜାଣିବା ପାଇଁ ଯାଉଥିଲେ । ସେ ଥିଲେ ଜଣେ ନୂଆ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ ପ୍ରଶାସନିକ ଅଫିସର / କଲେକ୍ଟର ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଶାସନ ଅଭିଜ୍ଞତା ପୂର୍ବରୁ ନ ଥିଲା ।  ମୟୁରଭଞ୍ଜ ରାଜା ,ପାରଳା ରାଜା ପଦବୀରେ ରେଭେନ୍ସାଙ୍କ ଠାରୁ ବହୁତ ଉପରେ ଥିଲେ । ତେଣୁ  ତାଙ୍କ ପାଖକୁ ଯାଇ କି ଅପରାଧ କଲେ ?

ରେଭେନ୍ସା ଶତାବ୍ଦୀ Souvenir ରେ ମିଷ୍ଟର ମିଶ୍ର ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ପ୍ରିନ୍ସିପାଲ ଡକ୍ଟର ଡି ସି ଙ୍କ PRINCIPAL REPORT ସହ 1936 ରେଭେନ୍ସା ର DIAMOND JUBLEE CELEBRATION ( 1936, 18 ଜାନୁଆରୀ ) ବେଳେ ପ୍ରିନ୍ସିପାଲ HR BATHEJA ଙ୍କ ADDRESS ବିଷୟଟି  ପଢିଥିବେ ।
ପୁଣି ଥରେ ପଢନ୍ତୁ ।
ସେଥିରେ କଣ ଥିଲା ?

“The Orissa famine of 1866 is an important land mark in the social ,economic and political history of Orissa . One fourth of total population of our province wiped out inspite of great effort of T E Ravenshaw after whom the college is named . Its entire life was so utterly disorganised that Hunter writing four years after his monumental work on Orissa spoke pessimistcally about achievements of its people .  Yet, as if to belie his gloomy reflections ,exactly six years after the little intermediate college started in1868, two years after the Great Famine, before even the funeral fires got cold ,was raised to the first grade and we commenced our  career as a degree institution . We are today celebrating sixtieth anniversary of that event to which Orissa attributes all its modern developments , its new ideas, new form of  life ,new modes of thoughts and new aspirations .
×××
During last sixty years the history of the college has been the history of Orissa . It is curious how development in the college have concided with  developments in the larger lives of the province .In fact ,their fates so inter woven that there is no event in the history of one which has had no reaction on other . “

ଏକଥା ନିଃସନ୍ଦେହ ଯେ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ପରିଚାଳନା ରେ ତ୍ରୁଟି କରିଥିଲେ । ଏହି ତୃଟି ସୁରେନ୍ଦ୍ର ମହାନ୍ତି ଙ୍କ ଭାଷାରେ ତାଙ୍କର କୀର୍ତ୍ତି ଠାରୁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ନଗଣ୍ୟ ।
ଓଡ଼ିଶା ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ କେବଳ ନୁହେଁ ,ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ସାମ୍ରାଜ୍ୟ ବାଦ କାଳର ସମସ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ଉପନିବେଶବାଦର ଅବଦାନ।  ଏକଥା ଇତିହାସ ରୁ ସମସ୍ତେ ଜାଣନ୍ତି । ତେଣୁ କେବଳ ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବଙ୍କୁ ବଳୀ ପକାଇବାର ହେଇଥିଲେ ରେଭେନ୍ସା କଲେଜର ବିଦ୍ଵାନମାନେ ପ୍ରଥମରୁ ହିଁ ବଳୀ ପକେଇ ଦେଇଥାନ୍ତେ ।
ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବ କିନ୍ତୁ ନିଜର ତ୍ରୁଟି କୁ ଅନ୍ୟ ମୁଣ୍ଡରେ ବୋଳିବାକୁ ଯାଇ ନାହାନ୍ତି । ତାଙ୍କର ସେଇ ଗ୍ଲାନିବୋଧ ହିଁ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ଶଯ୍ୟାର ତାଙ୍କ ଆଖିରେ ଲୁହ ଆଣିଥିଲା ଯାହା ମଧୁବାବୁଙ୍କ ଆଖିକୁ ବି ଫାଙ୍କି ପାରି ନ ଥିଲା ।

ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ପାର୍ଲିଆମେଣ୍ଟ ଭାରତରେ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ କୌଣସି ଅଫିସରଙ୍କୁ ଭର୍ତ୍ସନା ନ କରି ଛାଡି ନାହିଁ । ଏପରି କି ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ସାମ୍ରାଜ୍ୟବାଦ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠାର ନାୟକ ରବର୍ଟ କ୍ଳାଇଭ ମଧ୍ୟ ପାର୍ଲିଆମେଣ୍ଟ ଆକ୍ରମଣରୁ ରକ୍ଷା ପାଇ ନାହାନ୍ତି । ତେଣୁ ମାନସିକ ସ୍ଥିତି ହରେଇ ମାତ୍ର 47 ବର୍ଷରେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ବରଣ କରିଛନ୍ତି ( ଆତ୍ମହତ୍ୟା ) !

ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ପାର୍ଲିଆମେଣ୍ଟରେ
ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବଙ୍କ ବିଚାର –

ଅନେକ ଅସତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଚାର କରନ୍ତି ଯେ କଟକ କମିଶନର ( ଜିଲ୍ଲାପାଳ ) ରେଭେନ୍ସା ସାହେବ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ସମ୍ବାଦ ଠିକ ଭାବରେ ବେଙ୍ଗଲ ଲେଫ୍ଟନାଣ୍ଟ ଗଭର୍ଣ୍ଣର / ରେଭିନ୍ୟୁକମିଶନରଙ୍କୁ ପଠେଇ ନ ଥିଲେ, ତେଣୁ ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ମୁକାବିଲା କରି ହେଲା ନାହିଁ ଓ ସେଥିପାଇଁ ତାଙ୍କୁ ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ପାର୍ଲିଆମେଣ୍ଟରେ ଭର୍ତ୍ସନା ହେଇ ଥିଲା ଓ ସେ ଭୁଲ ସ୍ୱୀକାର କରିଥିଲେ । କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହାର ପ୍ରମାଣ ନାହିଁ । ବ୍ରିଟିଶ ପାର୍ଲିଆମେଣ୍ଟରେ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ଉପରେ ଯେଉଁ Motion ଆଗତ ହେଇଥିଲା ଓ ହାଉସ ଅଫ କମନ୍ସ ଓ ହାଉସ ଅଫ ଲର୍ଡ୍ସ ସଭ୍ୟ ବିସ୍ତୃତ ତଥ୍ୟ ଓ ରିପୋର୍ଟ ଉପରେ ଆଲୋଚନା କରିଥିଲେ ସେଥିରୁ କିଛି ଉଲ୍ଲେଖ କରୁଛି ।

Motion For An Address –
By Mr. Henry Seymour

He rose to call the attention of house to a very important question . In the course of last year 750000 of Her Majesty’s subjects in India perished from famine .Though papers had been presented  to this House ,their informations were very insufficient . A Commission had been appointed to enquire and its reports had been presented to the India House in a perfect form ; But it was not so when laid on the table of   the House . There were important ommissions which prevented their forming a complete judgement on the subject . The original report contained an appendix in which were collected various important letters, and a supplementary report drawn up by one of the Commissioner showing the progress of famine in various portions of the country . These had been withheld from parliament . It was also important that Hon Members should know the opinions of supreme council of India . Goverment General was of course , an important actor on the scene , but he did not act alone . He took the advice of his council before he sent in his report . The minutes of that council how ever were not on the table . He wished to know whether only dissents were recorded from that despatch , and if so, whether the Goverment would not lay the particulars on the  Table ?
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In september 1865 , there was hadly one official connected with the Goverment well
acquinted with Orissa . There were few Europeans in the province , and the irrigation officers and missioneries were the first persons to give notice of the calamity which was impending . The deficiency at Orissa was greater on any occasion that had occurred in any other famine in India . In the North Western Provinces in 1837 and 1838 and again in 1861 , the deficiency of crop were never more than four-tenths . But scarcity in Orissa was of a far more character . After the famine the district was exposed to another calamity .Scarcely had the population recovered from drought when the floods came and struck them down in vast numbers .
The Lieutenant governer of Bengal attributed to these floods , and not to the famine .

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He ( Mr .Seymour ) had himself passed through a province in Parsia which at the time suffering from famine , and it was impossible to conceive any thing more hurrible than the sufferings endured under such a state of things .

Petitions poured in from Zamindors but the Commission opposed making of enquiry with fear the government should have to remit a portion of their revenue . On November he again stated there was no famine . He continued to refuse enquiry but and on 20th he went away to the hills . The Commissioners who afterwards enquired into the matter  Mr Ravenshaw’s opinion was rash and was founded upon  defective information , that he was entirely new to the district , and that he was not in a position to form a competent opinion in opposition to those which he had received from a person who was well acquainted with the country . On 22nd May , although the famine was frightful and thousands were dying daily in the streets ,the authorities adhered to false notions of political economy and refused to send rice .The people were not in want of money but of rice . Mr Ravenshaw at length telegraphed for rice and at length Bengal Officials recognized the existence of famine . The board of revenue refused to send Arracan for rice ,and Lieutenant governor neglected to exert the power he had to compel them to send for it without further delay . He insisted there should be no interference with trade until at length he discovered that they were on the eve of one of the most terrible famine which had ever been known in that part of India .

Hon. Member For
Westminister  John S Mill –

His works had been a great benefactor to the mankind . But there was a curious coin . No man’s  authority had been more systematically mis-used than his by unintelligent officials in propagating the mischievous error . In Austrelia ,his authority had been used on the side of protection ; In Bengal for starving 750000 persons ,the doctrine of political economy had been worshipped as a sort of ” fetish” by officials who, because they believed that in the long run supply and demand would square themselves , seemed had utterly forgotten that human life was short and that human live could not subsist without food beyond a few days . They mechanically left the laws of political economy to work for themselves out while hundreds of thousands of human beings were perishing from famine .
While he thought the answer to the telegrams which had been alluded to was grave was most grievous error which any department in this empire had committed with in recent collection, none of these things entirely exonerated the Lieutnant governor of Bengal .
Question came back to this – was there sufficient information to his mind the danger that was impending ? He would refer to one passage from the native evidence that was given to Commission – the evidence of Pooree (Puri ) . This witness spoke of his intercourse with Lieutenant governor when he visited the province , in February, 1866 , and said that the cry of alarm was raised in the presence of Lieutnant governor , who spoke to him the past and present state of the district .  The witness said him that he had never seen such a famine before ,and that people are dying of hunger . He didnot speak of the portion of crops that had failed but mentioned generally the fact of failure s of the crops and of the people dying in thousands . This was upon the 7th of February before  the Lieutenant governor received warnings from Messrs  Gis borne & others . The Lietenant governor , before February , 1966 ,had received warnings from Arthur Cotton , Mr Barlow , the police of the district and others . The Lietenant governor said indeed , that these people did not ask him to import rice . They did not,  but he seemed to have looked on him as a sort of machine , which other people were to bring into play , and then it would produce certain measures . Supposing it had not been human beings but cattle that were in question and one had been informed on the authority of a merchant , a missionary ,an official , and many other persons that cattle were dying , and that there was a considerable danger that the deaths among them would continue increasing, would one would have gone same 200 miles from those cattle , made same little enquiry , and then taken another journey to the hills  on the frontiers of a distance country , and stayed there for two months , ordering no special inquiry and not worring , not vexing ones’ official at all about what was occurring ? True, the Lieutenant governor did not receive any information which proved to him that people would die, and it appeared that he did not think himself bound to move until it was proved to him that it was absolutely necessary to do . But he knew as well as any body else that unless he provided grain for these people before the bad weather set in the coast would be inaccessible . He must have known that if the famine which was impending occurred and he did not provide rice , hundreds of thousands of people would die , and on the other hand that if the famine passed away a certain amount of money might be wasted in providing rice . Having that choice before him , it would seem he choose rather to run the risk of losing the loss of lives than to run the risk of wasting money . He did not believe that that alternative really presented itself to the mind of  Lieunant governor of Bengal . He believed that that officer was in feeble physical health , and there fore incapable of giving the facts and warnings he received that attention which their importance demanded from one in his position . In these despotic goverments they could not get rid of personal responsibility , or lay the blame for every thing upon the system . The peculiarity of despotic governments was that they might be a great good if administered by competent men and a frightful course if administered by the
incompetent . On the fidelity and capacity of the persons administering them would depend the weal or woe , life or death , of millions of their fellow creatures . He deprecated any attempt to divert the blame by throwing it on system .In England, where they were self governed , if anything went terribly wrong , they thought that the same system must be in fault ;  but it would be a great mistake to argue from their own experience to the case of despotic governments such as existed in the East , where the man was everything and the system nothing . He did not think that the blame bestowed on Sir John Lawrence ( Governor General ) was fair , for the following reason – Sir John Lawrence had an enormous duty of supervision to perform; the Governors of Bombay and Madras , the Lietnant Governors of Bengal , the Chief Commissioner of the Central provinces , and various other high authorities were all under his supervision . He must take a general view of their main policy and decide the questions they submitted  to him ; but in deciding them in the first instance , he must accept the facts which others laid before him . The Lieunant Governor of Bengal stated to Sir John Lawrence in the most distinct manner that no supplies of rice were necessary . It would have been something more than instinct , it would have been inspiration , if, without any evidence at his hand , the Governor General had said , ” this testimony is not true , and I will go directly contrary to it ” .
There was a rumour , which it was to be hoped, was unfound , that his right hon.friend ( Stafford North cote )intended to append a council to Lietnant Governor of Bengal by way of remedying these evils . Another right hon. Friend of his ( Mr Henley ), some months since , wishing to express his horror of a certain law , said it was an invention of Old Nick . If that remark could be applied to any institution , he thought , it could be applied to Councils and Boards . Such things were trammels and screens to the incompetent . To the men who knew what they wanted to do , they were useless; but they were exuses for procrastination to the men who doubted what they aught to do . If any instances of their evil actions were wanting , it would be found in the course taken by the governor general . The governor general had that humility with regard to his own opinion and that deference for the opinions of others which was always the accomplishment of the greatest qualities to be found in human beings , and he believed he deferred unduly to the opinions of the council by whom he was surrounded . When his right hon. Friend spoke of appointing a council at Bengal he ( Vis count Cranborne ) must express an opinion that if the governor general of India had not had that council several hundreds of thousands who were now dead would have been alive . If the governor general would not have yielded to his council large supplies of rice would have been imported at the proper time and the people of Orissa would not have died . There was no greater error in our system of government in India , than the perpetual effort to prevent mal- administration by imposing checks , which frittered away responsibility and destroyed the individual and energetic action of men on the spot . If these events suggested any moral , it was the necessity of abolishing Darjeeling . When the governor general went to Simla , he was still near to to his work ,but it was difficult to convey an  idea of the absurdity of the Lieutnant governor of Bengal going from Orissa to Darjeeling . If they could  suppose the hon. Member of Wick ( Mr Laing),the chairman of London and Brighton Railway company , going to his constituents at Wick , staying there six months in the year , and attempting to manage affairs of the company from the islands of Arkney , they would have a fair idea of what happened in India when the Lieutnant governor of Bengal attempted to manage Orissa from boarders of Thibet . People must obtain a leave of absense for a time in a tropical climate , but a Lietnant governor went away, his powers should be delegated to the persons on the spot .But the great evil , and was a hard thing to say, was that English officials in India , with very many honourable exceptions , did not regard  the lives of the coloured inhabitants with the same feeling of intens