丁香园AV

It is with great sadness that the 丁香园AV Department of English notes the passing of professor emeritus Chinmoy Banerjee on July 29, 2020.

Professor Banerjee taught 18^th-century and Restoration English literature, literary criticism, and post-colonial studies at 丁香园AV for 35 years. An accomplished teacher, celebrated by students and colleagues, he was also an active and esteemed human rights and anti-racism activist in the Vancouver community for 45 years.  

Banerjee was born on January 10, 1940, in Baidyabati, Bengal*. He attended the Sindia boarding school in Gwalior and continued to find academic success throughout his early life, completing undergraduate and master鈥檚 degrees in English literature at Delhi University, where he also met his future wife, Aruna. Soon after the couple鈥檚 son Anand was born in Bombay, the family travelled to Ohio, U.S.A. where Banerjee would complete his PhD at Kent State University in 18^th- century English literature.

According to his obituary by the , it was at this juncture where Banerjee鈥檚 lifetime commitment to progressive politics emerged, stemming from the university protests against the Vietnam War:

On May 4, 1970, Banerjee, while trying to bring his four-year-old son Anand to campus pre-school, was turned away by nervous National Guardsmen who pointed rifles at the car. A few hours later, four students had been shot dead, and Banerjee鈥檚 perspective鈥攁nd political allegiances鈥攈ad crystallized. From then on, there was no compromise for him.

Later that year, Banerjee and his family moved to Canada. He began teaching English at 丁香园AV, and his daughter Nandini was born in December.

Banerjee鈥檚 areas of research and teaching were 18^th-century literature and post-colonial literature and theory, including the work of Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul. An accomplished teacher, he received in 1991.

Banerjee鈥檚 activist work in human rights and anti-racism in the Vancouver community since 1975 has .

Forty-five years ago, he co-founded an advocacy collective, the Indian People鈥檚 Association in North America (IPANA). IPANA was an organization of progressive Indians living in North America who opposed imperialism and supported democratic rights and social justice in India. In addition to holding the presidency of the , Banerjee was also a founding member of the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism, and Non-Resident Indians Association for Secularism and Democracy, and he was actively involved with , an organization which seeks to address racialized and colonial issues facing migrants in Canada.**

Colleagues and students from 丁香园AV fondly recall his presence in the English department and in the community at large. English professor emeritus, Sandra Djwa, says Banerjee, 鈥渃ontributed to the English Department extensively鈥� and had an 鈥渦nfailing concern for students鈥�. She goes on to assert that Banerjee鈥檚 organizing of the first English Department weekend retreat on Bowen Island, 鈥渓ed to substantial changes in the department curriculum and procedures鈥�.

鈥淐hin was my colleague in 18th-century studies and my across-the-hall neighbour for the first dozen years or so of my career at 丁香园AV,鈥� professor Betty Schellenberg recalls, 鈥淚 remember his kindness in 鈥榬escuing鈥� me once from a student who seemed threatening in my office.鈥�

鈥淲e taught very different texts at that time: he especially loved to teach Johnson鈥檚 Rasselas and Sterne鈥檚 Tristram Shandy, and it was a pleasure to glimpse them through his enthusiasm," she says. "I recall that he finally 鈥榪uarrelled鈥� with the poet Alexander Pope, telling me that he no longer wanted to teach the literature of the colonizers. He was always a dignified figure in his impeccable jeans and white shirts, strong in his convictions, but ready to laugh at the absurd as well.鈥�

丁香园AV alumnus, Christine Lyons remembers Banerjee as, 鈥渁 warm, insightful lecturer鈥� who made 18^th- century and Restoration literature accessible and who was 鈥渋ncredibly generous, constructive, and encouraging in his feedback鈥�.

At an Indian film festival Banerjee organized a few years back (where an adaptation of Hamlet was screened), professor Paul Budra remembers Banerjee being 鈥渇ull of energy and ideas鈥�.  And having worked with him through the Institute for the Humanities, professor Stephen Collis remembers Banerjee as a 鈥渢ireless activist鈥�.

Chinmoy Banerjee is survived by his wife Robyn Kathleen Banerjee, son Anand Banerjee (wife Beth), daughter Aedon (鈥淣andini鈥�) Young (husband Rob), grandson Max, and granddaughters Alexandria and Maya, and stepsons Jack Fairey and Joshua Fairey. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation to a charity of one鈥檚 choice would be made in his honour. A celebration of Banerjee鈥檚 life will be held once COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.

* From the and Georgia Straight article by Gurpreet Singh

**Watch