Dwijendralal Ray

Dwijendralal Ray (19 July 1863 – 17 May 1913), also known as D. L. Ray, was a Bengali poet, playwright, and musician.

Early life and education

Early life Dwijendralal Ray was born in Krishnanagar, Nadia, in the modern-day Indian state of West Bengal, on 19 July 1863. He was the seventh child of Kartikeyachandra Ray, Dewan (Chief Officer) of Krishnanagar palace. From his mother's side, he was a descendant of Vaishnava ascetic Advaita Acharya, one of the apostles of the medieval Bengali saint Shri Chaitanya. Ray had six elder brothers and a younger sister.

In England In 1884, Ray got a state scholarship for study of agriculture in England. "His description of the sea-voyage and his keen observation on the manners, customs, food-habits and dresses of British people" was serialised in a weekly named Pataka and later published by his brothers as Bileter Patra (Letters from England).While in England, he received the news of his beloved parents' death.

Career On his return from England, Ray was appointed as a Deputy Magistrate in 1886 and worked in the Departments of Survey and Settlement, Excise, Land Records and Agriculture, Administration and Judiciary in different parts of Bengal, Bihar and Central Province. In 1887, Ray married Surabala Devi, daughter of Pratap Chandra Majumdar, a renowned homeopath physician. In 1890, he was transferred to Kajlagarh as the land settlement officer of the Sujamutha division of Medinipur, he diligently worked and even led a peasant protest against the excessive tax rates. He composed some of his best works there.

Political activity Though from a landed Bengali aristocratic family, Ray was known for his pro-peasant sentiments. In 1890, while working for the government at Kajlagarh, in Purba Medinipur he clashed with the Bengal Governor on the issue of peasant land rights and tithing obligations. He valiantly protested against the excessive tax that the peasants and small landowners had to pay to the Jotedars.

Following the 1905 Partition of Bengal, Ray joined the cultural movement to reunite the two new Bengali provinces. It was during the time he wrote several patriotic songs, including "Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara", that are still immensely popular today.

He was known also for his commitment to the uplifting of women, and his strong stance against Hindu religious orthodoxy and ritual. His collection Hanshir Gaan was a satire against upper-caste Hindu dominance of religious practices.