British intelligence said that Phulu was a revolutionary in the guise of a scientist. Phulu used to give money to the revolutionaries to buy weapons during the secession of Bengal movement. Phulu’s full name is Acharya Prafullchandra Roy. Phulu’s patriotism was so fierce that a high-ranking officer in Dhaka was forced to say, ‘Sir P.C. Had there been half-a-dozen people like Ray, the country would have been free by now.’ In 1919, Phulu was given the title of Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) by the British, and in the same year, in the town hall of Calcutta, Phulu rose up in opposition to the Rowlatt Bill, saying,
“Scientists should leave the test tube and come out of the laboratory if necessary for the country. Research in science can wait, but the struggle for Swaraj cannot wait.”
Phulu taught at Presidency College for 27 years. Fulu used to teach in Bengali language. Fulu loved to take classes at the bottom, he used to say, ‘Just as a potter can shape a clay pot to his liking, so can a high school freshman in college.’ He always wanted his students to surpass him.
So he wrote, ‘I will search for victory everywhere, but I will be happy to accept defeat to my son and disciple.’ A Muslim student of Phulu was Dr. Kudrat-i Khuda. In 1915, when Kudrat-e Khuda got first class in the M.Sc. Chemistry examination, some staunch Hindu teachers requested Phulu not to award Kudrat-e Khuda first class. But Phulu who is initiated into the ideology of the non-communal father. Who is worthy of Fulu is worthy. So Fulu did not agree.
The world poet once wrote to Phulu, ‘…those who entered the laboratory in the noise of birth-literary, I will bring back the species who have been lost in the scientific market. I once doubted that you would be one of that group too.’ In fact Vishwakabi felt, even though he had studied in Bile and was fluent in English, Bengali was the soul of Fulu and there was a literary man hidden in Fulu.
Rabindranath came on the day of Phulu’s 70th birth anniversary, Vishwakabi said in an emotional voice, ‘We are both fellow travelers, we have almost arrived at Ekghat.” On that day, Rabindranath handed Phulu a copper plate inscribed with two lines written by the poet – ‘Prem Rasayane Ogo Sarvajanpriya.’ , If you do it, you are your relative in the world.’
Phulu loved to eat bananas since childhood, used to have tiffin with two bananas in the morning. Chapakala was a favorite of Phulu. At that time, two chapakalas were available for one paise. One day when a student brought two bananas for sir for three paise, did Raga Phulu say to the student, ‘Have you learned how to become a Nawabi, will you put me on the way?’
Shortly after that Congress leader Dr. Prafulla Chandra Ghosh came to Phulu, he needed three thousand rupees. In an era when two bananas were available for a penny, the value of three thousand rupees is easily conceivable. Phulu wrote a check of three thousand rupees without a word.
The whole world knew the name of Radulir Phulu, the ‘scientist of scientists’. The members of the Simon Commission had heard a lot about Science College and Fulu in London. They had come to Calcutta to visit the Science College, the original intention being to see Phulu. One afternoon they came to Phulu’s house and were shocked. ‘Scientist’s scientist’ Sir P.C. Roy, the discoverer of mercuric nitrite, sits in a toweled chair. Because Phulu had left her dhoti to dry in the sun. A stove was burning in a corner of the room, and Fulu was cooking her own food. Without being a little shy, Fulu spoke to the members of the Simon Commission in that situation.
He understood, “A whole nation cannot survive by being only clerks or gnats”. He showed the way for the Bengali nation to become self-reliant. In 1901 he established ‘Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works’.
The capital was only eight hundred rupees and full confidence.
His ideals are not observed by Bengalis today. Pseudonym Phulu Babu aka ‘Acharya Prafullchandra Roy’…
The discoverer of mercuric nitrite used to pick up the rotten neck bones of various animals and animals from Bhagdar and put them on the roof of his house. The crow would take these bones in its mouth and scatter them here and there. Then the people of the neighboring houses would get fed up with the stench of this rotting bone. Neighbors complained about this several times in his name. Later, he was forced to start researching the bones of this rotten-throated animal again in an empty field a few miles away from home with the help of a close friend.
Suddenly, one evening, a fire broke out on the dry grass due to the reaction of chemicals in that vacant land and the fire spread around. The police reached the spot and extinguished the fire. Later, he dried the bones of that animal in the intense heat of the field and made medicine from them. In 1895, he discovered mercuric nitrite. Later, he did several studies on sulphuret with sulfur addition. He was called Master of Night.
He founded Bengal Chemical and Mercury. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy’s Hydroxic Chlorophyll Medicine made by Bengal Chemicals became a critical need during this covid. Phenyl and naphthalene made from nitric acid are very popular in our country.
He is a renowned Bengali chemist, teacher, philosopher and poet. He was born in Jessore district of undivided Bengal, now part of Bangladesh. During his student life, he got personalities like Satyendranath Bose, Meghnad Saha as teachers. He passed away at the age of 82 He is called the father of modern chemistry.
✍???? Writer:- Baby Chakraborty ✍????
