“Bundele Harbolon ke muh hamne suni kahani
thi –
Khub lari mardani woh to Jhansiwali rani
thi… “
These lines
from the poem ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’ by Smt. Subhadra Kumari Chouhan made Jhansi and
its queen Rani Laxmi Bai immortal among the Hindi speaking people throughout the world. Jhansi, the land of gallant soldiers has
been an important place of Bundelkhand. It is said here that ‘Sau Lathi, ek
Bundelkhandi’ meaning one Bundelkhandi is equal to a hundred bamboo sticks.
As compared
to other three districts of Bundelkhand, the population of resident bengalees in
Jhansi was always higher. Having taken employments in Railways and with other Government
jobs, the Bengalees started living in Jhansi from its early days. One such
Bengali from Nalkura village near Barasat, Babu Brajanath Chattopadhyay was
employed as an Agent / Manager (Gumashta) of Commissariat and after touring
various places in India he came to Jhansi at last much before the mutiny and
made it his permanent abode. Bengalees like him were very much respected by the
locals because of being learned and courteous in nature. They were considered
as the ideals for the locals. Their competency and verdicts on small petty conflicts
of local residents was so much honored that on petty domestic litigations they
used to prefer the arbitration of such famous Bengalis instead of taking the
route of justice in courts. After him his successors moved back to Bengal.
Another such
famous and earlier Bengalee resident was the District Engineer Babu Jodunath
Choudhury. He was fond of the sons of his own land, very generous and a
philomath. He built many philanthropic institutions like Morar Anglo Vernacular
School of Gwalior, Gazipur Highschool, new premises of McDonald High School of
Jhansi and an Orphanage. During his life he managed the orphanage with the alms
from general public but after him his deeds were forgotten like the orphanage
itself. His successors, too are no more in Jhansi now.
Another name needs special mention is of Babu
Prosonno Chandra Chatterjee who came from Ariadaha near famous Dakshineswar
temple of Calcutta. When mutiny broke out in India, Sir Hugh Rose was brought
from London to took over the charge of a huge army in Indore. From there his
force moved through Sihore, Bina, Sagar towards Jhansi to suppress the dreams
of Rani Jhansi of freeing her land from British empire. After the fall of
Jhansi, Babu Prosonno Chandra Chatterjee was working in Jhansi
Commissioner's Office. During a famine in Jhansi around 1896 he was made the
Famine Commissioner. For his generous services in distributing charity to the
sufferers from famine he was rewarded by the then Lt. Governor, Mr. A.P.
McDonald on behalf of Queen Victoria, the Empress of India on 21st July, 1897.
By then he was retired from his coveted service. He constructed a huge house
here and lived permanently with his family. A few of his descendants still live
in the same house while most of them have left Jhansi in search of their
livelihood.
Babu Prosonno Chandra Chatterjee in
consultation with other prominent Bengalees initiated with an idea of
establishing an anglo-vernacular school in Jhansi. He invited Babu Bipin Behari
Bandopadhyay from his native place in Bengal to took over as the Head Master of
the newly build McDonald High School of Jhansi. Babu Bipin Behari Bandopadhyay
was an eminent educationist and a famous scholar of his time. He was so
regarded by the residents of Jhansi and any dispute or differences were brought
to him instead of any court of law. Later the school was rechristened as Bipin
Behari Intermediate College, Jhansi to honour its first Head Master. Then
almost every Bengalee studied here. The sons of Babu Bipin Behari Bandopadhyay,
Late Satish Chandra Bandopadhyay was a renowned lawyer in Jhansi Court. After
them their descendents are still living in their residence.
There was another Bengalee resident, Babu
Mahendranath Neogi who was the owner of 'Soor and Neogi Progressive Medical
Hall' after the first owner Mr. Soor's return to Bengal. Mr. Neogi also earned
a good name for his generosity. However, none of his family stayed in Jhansi
after him.
In the year 1889 Dr. Roy Rajendranath
Choudhury, the son of aforesaid Babu Jodunath Choudhury established a bengalee
library and reading room named as 'Banga Sahitya Samaj'. It was first
established inside Rani's palace but later shifted to Govt. School under the
supervision of its Second Master Sri Girish Chandra Biswas. Under his able
supervision and care of Sri Nagendranath Bandopadhyay, Sri Abinash Chandra
Mitra and nearly 100 readers the library soon become the center of bengalee
learning and discussion. But with the passage of time it was lost in the air.
Another forum for discussion was also formed around 1902-03 in the name of
'Friends' Association'. Young bengalees used to visit and take part in
discussions. But that also could not survive from the cruel clutches of time.
What is still surviving for the past 154 years is the glorious Durga Puja here. Started by the Bengalee Commuity in the house of Babu Prasanna Chandra Chatterjee in the year 1860 the biggest festival of Bengal, Durga Puja was performed there continuously for 96 years. The house of Babu Prasanna Chandra is still known as Kali Bari (locals knows the godess of Bengal only as Kali Mai) and the Road heading towards this house is named as Kali Bari Road. It is said the first Durga idol was constructed by local artisans 'Chitere'. and was witnessed by then Lt. Colonel. He was entertained by the 'Baiji Dance' whom he offered a Gold Coin called Asharfee. Later in the year 1936 a society in the name of Bandhav Samity was formed with the intentions to include other cultural activities like Library, Kirtan & Bhajan, propagation of Bangla language, Drama and Music etc.
Later the need was felt to own a premises in
the name of Bandhav Samity itself. Pursuing this benevolent mission Latu Lal
Chatterjee gave up the prime time of his life in collecting donations and
acquiring pieces of land for the Samity. He even used to convince his fellow
passengers in trains and asking for their donations. On construction of the new
premises first Saraswati Puja and then later Durga Puja and all other
activities were shifted there. As the undaunted endeavor and labour of Latu Lal
Chatterjee is unforgettable so is the large selfless financial contribution of
Tulsi Charan Mukherjee for construction of this new building.Previously a lot
of land had been purchased and some portions viz. Durga Dalan, Stage and a huge
Gate was constructed but a large portion remained as old and in dilapidated
state. Late Tulsi Charan Mukherjee once visited Jhansi and then Durga Bari in
the year 1974 during a Durga Puja from UAE. He once lived his childhood in
Jhansi and his memories brought him back to this place. He himself offered to
construct a totally new building for Bandhav Samity. After him her widow Bani
Mukherjee also continued the donations what his late husband assured of.
Among the old bengalees of Jhansi the name of Babu Hari Pada Mukherjee is also very prominent who was a renounced lawyer of that time and was one of the pillars of Bandhav Samity. Later his sons and brothers shifted to Bombay and made their presence in Bollywood as Directors, Producers and Actors. Sasadhar Mukherjee, Subodh Mukherjee, Probodh Mukherjee, Joy Mukherjee, Deb Mukherjee, Ram Mukherjee, Rani Mukherjee, Kajol Mukherjee are a few who are well known.
Some other old Bengalee families who
contributed to the glorious past of the Bengalees were Sanyal brothers -
N.K.Sanyal, S.K.Sanyal and M.N.Sanyal, who were famous advocates of Jhansi,
Coudhurys' who were educationists, Biswas' - Indu Bhushan Biswas was a Govt.
Contracter and a good painter, his younger brother Bibhuti Bhushan Biswas was
the second Head Master in Mc Donald High School, Chakravertys' - Bibhuti
Bhushan was an english teacher and many more.
Now, we are the flag bearers of this resident community in Jhansi striving hard to preserve and propagate this rich culture and literature. Apart from Durga Puja we celebrate Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja, Rabindra Jayanti, Naba Barsha etc with great enthusiasm and devotion.
