Brahmo Conference Organisation

Objectives

The stated objectives for founding the organisation included:

• To resolve the differences between the 2 existing Brahmic divisions of Adiism and Sadharanism,
• Preach from every platform that the Nabobidhan (a dissenting sect) is not the Brahmo religion, but totally opposed to Brahmoism.

History

In 1878 the 2nd Brahmo schism resulted in the formation of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj with the support of the Adi Brahmo Samaj. The remnant "New Dispensation" (Nabobidhan) sect created confusion that they were also Brahmos and started a samaj at Bhowanipore called Sammilan Samaj.

In 1879, the Adi Brahmo Samaj at Kolkatta deputed Hemendranath Tagore and Aghore Mukhopadhyaya to resolve theological differences with Sivanath Sastri and Ananda Mohan Bose of the other samaj.

In 1880, a proclamation was issued by 8 prominent Brahmos of Sylhet at Comilla, calling inter alia for a common organisation to oppose the New Dispensation which was "totally opposed to Brahmoism".

:"Let us all, every Brahmo and Brahmo Samaj, combine to let the world know that the New Dispensation is not the Brahmo religion. That we have not the least sympathy for the creed. That the New Dispensation is totally opposed to Brahmoism."

On 27 January 1881, the organisation was formed at Mymensingh. The first President was Hemendranath Tagore, the Secretary was Sivanath Sastri, and the Treasurer was Raj Chandra Chaudhuri (son-in-law of Nobin Chandra Roy).

On 24 March 1881, the organisation was formally registered as a Society at Mymensingh.

After the death of Hemendranath Tagore in 1884, differences arose between the Adi Brahmos and Sadharan Brahmos in 1888. A furious row resulted in the Adi Brahmos legally shifting the Society to Lahore in the Punjab where Nobin Chandra Roy was settled.

In 1890, an unofficial splinter conference was convened at Dhaka in Bengal by Bhubanmohan Sen and Sasibhusan Datta, with the tacit support of Sadharan Samaj.

In 1891, a rival Brahmo Sammilan Organisation was formed in Bangladesh, with the support of the Bhowanipore Sammillan Samaj, by non-Brahmin factions of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj and Nabobidhan who had married inter-caste. The disagreements within the Sadharan Samaj over validity of caste in Brahmoism intensified. In 1907 the Brahmo Conference Organisation resolved (for purpose of Census of India) "only such Brahmos who accept Trust principles of 1830 completely are entitled to the Brahmo name." Confronted with the results of the 1911 census, Sivanath Sastri disputed the census figures and retorted in 1912 quoting Rev. S. Fletcher Williams, "There are more Brahmos outside the Brahmo Samaj than within it." Until 1916 no Brahmin was openly associated with this Sammilan, however, that year Sivnath Sastri accepted an invitation to be President of the rival Sammilani conclave.

In 1942 during World War II elders of the Brahmo Conference accepted an invitation from Amar Chandra Bhattacharya to participate in the rival organisation's "unity" conclave at Dhamua (West Bengal), but they were assaulted there and the police had to be called in. Thereafter, the organisation distrusted all peace efforts to unite the Brahmin and non-Brahmin factions within Sadharan Samaj.

In 1949 after the Partition of India, the organisation shifted to Kanpur.

References

References

1. Sāstri, Sivanātha. (1912). ["History of the Brahmo Samaj"]({{google books). R. Chatterji.
2. Lahiri, S.K.. (1903). "History of the Adi Brahmo Samaj".