BANERJEA, SIR SURENDRANATH 2 5 ), Indian (Brahman) politician and journalist. Passing for the Indian Civil Service at the open competition of 187o, he retired after two years' service, and opened a small school in Calcutta, which expanded into Ripon College. In 1876 he founded the Cal cutta Indian Association, and three years later he became editor of The Bengalee newspaper. He was one of those who established the Indian National Congress in 1883 ; he presided over the Poona session of 1895 and again at the meeting at Ahmadabad in 1902.
In 1893 Banerjea was elected to represent the Calcutta corpo ration on the Bengal Legislative Council, and was twice returned to the central Legislature as member for Bengal. Vehemently opposing the administrative partition of Bengal effected by Lord Curzon in 1905, he supported the boycott of foreign goods. But he preferred constitutional methods, and welcomed the Montagu Chelmsford reforms. Severing his association with the congress, which had passed under "extremist" control, he formed an "Indian Liberal" organization, and accepted office as minister for local government and sanitation in Bengal. A knighthood was con ferred upon him in Jan. 1921, and in 1924 he retired into private life. Shortly before his death he published his autobiography, A Nation in Making.