Kristo Das Pal (; 1838 – 24 July 1884), was an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

journalist, orator and an editor of the ''

Hindoo Patriot The ''Hindoo Patriot'' () was an English weekly published from Calcutta in the later half of the nineteenth century in Bengal Presidency, Bengal. History In 1853, one Madhusudan Ray, a Burabazar banker approached Sreenath Ghosh, the founde ...

''.

Early life

Son of Ishwar Chandra Pal, he received an English education at the

Oriental Seminary The Oriental Seminary is a private school in Kolkata. History The Oriental Seminary was established in 1829 by the educator Gour Mohan Addy. It was the first privately-run, first-rate school for Hindus (the children of Hindus)Hindu parents i ...

and the Hindu Metropolitan College, and at an early age devoted himself to journalism. A student of D. L. Richardson, he acquired an admirable proficiency in English. In 1861, he was appointed assistant secretary (and afterwards secretary) to the

British Indian Association British Indian Association was a political organization in the 19th century in India. Its rival was the Indian National Association. The Madras Native Association founded by Merchant Billionaire Gazulu Lakshmi Narslu Chetty in 1854 had establishe ...

, a board of Bengal landlords, which numbered among its members some of the most cultured men of the day. At about the same time he became editor of the ''Hindu Patriot'', originally started in 1853 and conducted with ability and zeal by Harish Chandra Mukherjee until his death in 1861. This journal having been transferred by a trust deed to some members of the British Indian Association, it henceforth became to some extent an organ of that body. Thus Kristo Das Pal had rare opportunities for proving his abilities and independence during an eventful career of twenty-two years.

Later life

In 1863, he was appointed justice of the peace and municipal commissioner of Calcutta. In 1872, he was made a member of the Bengal legislative council, where his practical good sense and moderation were much appreciated by successive lieutenant governors. His opposition, however, to the Calcutta Municipal Bill of 1876, which first recognized the elective system, was attributed to his prejudice in favour of the classes against the masses. In 1878, he received the decoration of C.I.E. In 1883 he was appointed a member of the viceroys legislative council. In the discussions on, the Rent Bill, which came up for consideration before the council, Kristo Das Pal, as secretary to the British Indian Association, necessarily took the side of the landlords. He was given title of

Rai Bahadur Rai Bahadur (in North India) and Rao Bahadur (in South India), R.B., was a title of honour bestowed during British rule in India to individuals for outstanding service or acts of public welfare to the Empire. From 1911, the title was accompani ...

in 1877 and was therefore also called as ''Rai Kristo Das Pal Bahadur''. He was one of the patrons of

Hindu Mela The Hindu Mela () was an annual political and cultural festival ( mela) that took place in India during the late 19th century. Initially established in 1867 by Nabagopal Mitra, Rajnarayan Basu, and Manomohan Bose as the Chaitra mela, it was i ...

, page 151. He died on 24 July 1884 from diabetes. Speaking after his death,

Lord Ripon George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon, (24 October 1827 – 9 July 1909), styled Viscount Goderich from 1833 to 1859 and known as the Earl of Ripon in 1859 and as the Earl de Grey and Ripon from 1859 to 1871, was a British p ...

said: "By this melancholy event we have lost from among us a colleague of distinguished ability, from whom we had on all occasions received assistance, of which I readily acknowledge the value. . . . Mr. Kristo Das Pal owed the honourable position to which he had attained to his own exertions. His intellectual attainments were of a high order, his rhetorical gifts were acknowledged by all who heard him, and were enhanced when addressing this council by his thorough mastery over the English language." A full-length statue of him was unveiled by

Lord Elgin Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine, ( ; 20 July 176614 November 1841), often known as Lord Elgin, was a Scottish nobleman, diplomat, and collector, known primarily for the controversial procurement of marble sculptures ...

at Calcutta in 1894.

Early life

Later life

References

Further reading