224 LIFE AND WORK OF SIR JAGADIS C. BOSE 



Sir P. C. Ray, the chemist. On his return from his 

 Edinburgh studies he found welcome and a home at Bose's. 

 The spirit of departmental trade unionism which stood 

 in the way of Indians securing responsible positions in 

 education was, as usual, fully active. But Bose who can 

 be tactful for his friends, as well as combative in defence 

 of principles managed to disarm the reluctance of the 

 Education Department to appoint another Indian in the 

 Science professoriate of the Presidency College, and with long 

 colleagueship a very close friendship has grown up between 

 them. Bose's active championship of Ray's promise and 

 powers has long been amply justified by the high appreciation 

 of brother chemists and the success of his pupils. 



Bose has also been on terms of closest friendship with 

 the leaders of educational, social, and political movements. 

 Among these may be mentioned the late G. K. Gokhale 

 and Mr. M. K. Gandhi. Special mention must be made 

 here of his medical adviser and friend, Sir Nilratan Sircar, 

 the leading physician of Calcutta, who in addition to his 

 professional work has rendered such services in the cause 

 of higher education as to make the Indian Government 

 select him for the Vice-Chancellorship of the Calcutta 

 University. Fairly near neighbours in Calcutta, he and 

 Bose are next door in Darjeeling, and to Sir Nilratan's 

 promptitude and skill Bose has on more than one occasion 

 already owed his life, while his fairly continued health 

 depends much on his old friend's vigilance. 



Reference may here be made to his numerous students, 

 of whom he thus spoke in one of his addresses : ' Perhaps 

 as a reward for years of effort, I find all over India those 

 who have been my pupils occupying positions of the highest 

 trust and responsibility in different walks of life. I do 

 not merely count those who have won fame and success, 

 but I also claim many others who have taken up the burden 

 of life manfully and whose life of purity and unselfishness 

 has brought gleams of joy into suffering lives.' 



Of friends both in Europe and in America much might 



