THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF OUR COUNTRY WHICH IS IN ALIPORE, KOLKATA IS FACING ACUTE SHORTAGE OF STAFFS ( ONLY 27 AT PRESENT)LEADING THOUSANDS OF RARE BOOKS IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE PRESERVATION UNATTENDED. NOT ONLY THIS NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE TO PRESERVE THE MEMORY OF HARI NATH DEY, FIRST INDIAN LIBRARIAN OF NATIONAL LIBRARY ( THEN IMPERIAL LIBRARY) WHO WAS NOT ONLY A SCHOLAR BUT ALSO A MULTI-LINGUIST.
PRESENT LIBRARIAN OF NATIONAL LIBRARY TOLD TO A BENGALI DAILY THAT THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY FOR RECRUITMENT IS DELAYING THE WHOLE MATTER.AS FOR HARI NATH DEY, HE WAS AN EXPERT IN 34 INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES, OF WHICH IN 14 HE WAS M.A. APART FROM THIS HARI NATH WAS FIRST I.E.S ( INDIAN EDUCATION SERVICES)AMONG ASIANS.BESIDES HARI NATH WAS EX-PROF OF ENGLISH OF DECCA UNIVERSITY AND EX-PROF OF PRESIDENCY COLLEGE. HE WAS THE NOTE-WRITER FOR ” BOSWEL’S JOHNSON”.
TILL TODAY NO STATUE OR PLAQUE IN MEMORY OF HARI NATH IS SETUP IN ARIADAHA OF KAMARHATI NEAR KOLKATA WHERE HE WAS BORN IN HIS MATERNAL UNCLE’S HOUSE ( WHICH IN MODERN FORM STILL STANDS). THE CHAIRMAN OF LOCAL MUNICIPALITY ONCE TOLD THIS WRITER THAT IF SOMEONE COMES FORWARD IN THIS MATTER THEY WILL GIVE IT A THOUGHT.
