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myself have helped this movement by the establishment of the Ripon College. But there is a woeful lack of effort for the expan- sion of medical education in the province. Medical education is certainly more expensive, needing more outlay, initial and recur- ring; but the urgent need for it cannot be gainsaid. We have in Bengal one qualified medical practitioner for over forty thousand of our people; while in England they have one for eighteen hundred of the population.
In India, public benefactions do not flow so readily towards the expansion of medical relief as in other civilized countries; and yet it would be grossly unfair to charge our people with callousness to human suffering or the lack of charity for public purposes. Look at the princely benefactions, the gift of past generations, from the proceeds of which the poor are fed, the learned are supported, and the ministrations of religion nobly upheid. Public opinion has to be guided and led into this channel; and the Government should honour the distinguished men whose benefactions have helped to widen the area of medical education. I am afraid this has not always been done in recent times; and the lack of encouragement has stifled the flow of charity in this useful channel.
During my time, and in spite of financial stringency, the founda- tion-stone was laid of a medical school at Mymensingh; and the Government stands definitely pledged to establish similar schools, one after another, at Chittagong, Berhampore and Jalpaiguri. The impulse has been created, but it needs to be stimulated. I repeat that it is not done to the extent that it should be. Government honours, despite Non-Co-operation, are still appreciated; and the Raja is still somebody in the mofussil; and the Rai Bahadur too, only in a lesser degree. These distinctions afford a stimulus to the beneficence of the wealthy, and they have the further effect of ranging them definitely on the side of the Government. It is no use telling them that the Government is pleased. Government should afford practical proof of its approbation. Not words, but deeds, are wanted.
One of the familiar ways of attacking the Ministers was to charge them with inaction, or to father upon them measures for which they were in no way responsible. I have already referred to the Town Hall meeting where the Ministers were attacked for supporting the deportations. As a matter of fact, they knew nothing at all about them. The orders were issued by the Executive Govern-