About Us

Eighty One Years of
BENGALEE ASSOCIATION, BIHAR

 

Bengalee Association, Bihar is the central organization representing 14 lakh Bengali speaking population of Bihar. This Association was registered as per Societies Registration Act on 7th April 1938. The famous Legal luminary of Patna High Court, Barrister Late Priya Ranjan Das (P.R.Das) was the first President.

 

Why the Bengalee Association, Bihar was formed?

Around 1905 the national movement of Freedom struggle, led by Bengal was at the peak. To douche the fire of Freedom Movement, British government divided Bengal into two parts. Unfortunately this division instead of diminishing the fire took the shape of mass movement. The Viceroy of India Lord Curjon had to resign. In 1910 Lord Hardinge took over as Viceroy. By this time the freedom struggle had became violent. The disobedience movement had nearly stalled the administration and governance. In 1911 the Capital of India was changed from Kolkata to Delhi. But In 1908, two important things happened in Bihar. The first was injury of Ullaskar Dutta and Prafulla Chakravarty during a bomb blast near the Digharia Hills at Deoghar. They were experimenting with a hand-bomb. Prafulla Chakravarty died and police could get the clue of these activities. In 1908, in Muzaffarpur, Khudiram Bose tried to kill Kingsford by throwing a bomb. In 1909, Barin Ghosh was hanged for another bomb case. All these violent activities disturbed the British rulers. On the plea of good governance, and basically to stop the spread of armed struggle into Bihar and Orissa, in 1912, British government divided the large Bengal Province into, two provinces, Bengal and Bihar and Orrisa combined.
Bihar was the second home of Bengalees, constituting nearly 40 % of urban population. Taking one step ahead, as per their ‘divide and rule’ policy, to create mistrust between Bengali speaking population and Non- Bengali speaking of Bihar, a domicile system was introduced. Any service, education and business to any Bengali speaking population were banned till they live for 10 years in Bihar or if they can prove that they have no connection with Bengal. For Government jobs Bengali-speaking population was nearly banned. No Bengali speaking person still working as temporary employee were to be made permanent employee. The Bengalees were denied their fundamental rights regarding service, education and commerce. All of a sudden the Bengali speaking population, who were son of the soil, became a linguistic minority group and outsider.
The only possible course left was to fight the British rulers by forming an organization for the purpose of protecting the rights and privileges. A representative meeting of Bengalis of Bihar was convened on 12th February 1938 in the Anglo-Sanskrit Hall at Patna. 72 Bengalis assembled in Central Hall of the School. It was decided that Bengalee Association, Bihar should be formed. The President of the meeting was Shri Hem Chandra Mitra of Chapra. Barrister P. R. Das, Ex Judge of Patna High Court was elected to be the first President of the Association. On 13th February 1938, in the house of Shri P. R. Das, the Committee members sat together and formed the constitution. In a meeting of 27th March, the Constitution was passed. On 7th April 1938, it was registered under Society’s Registration Act as “BENGALEE ASSOCIATION, BIHAR”.

 

Achievements of Bengalee Association, Bihar

 

 

• Withdrawal of Domicile Law - successful agitation led to withdrawal of Domicile Law.

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• Retrieving the last residence of Sri Ishwar ChandraVidyasagar at Karmatanr (Named "Nandan Kanan") in Jamtara district of Bihar (now Jharkhand State). Starting a free Middle School for girls.

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• Persuade the Government of Bihar and Railway Ministry for changing of name of ‘Karmatanr’ station to ‘Vidyasagar’ station.

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• Persuade Bihar Govornment to establish the first Bangla Academy of our country, Bihar Bangla Academy in 1983. The First Chairman of Academy was Sri Bibhuti Bhushan Mukhopadhya.

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• In 1983 due to efforts of members of Bengalee Association of Bihar, Govt' of Bihar assigned one of post of Vice Chairman of Bihar State Minority Commission to Bengali Linguistic Minority.

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• Organized public awareness to pressurize Government for construction of Saheed Khudiram Bose and Profulla Chaki Memorial at Central Jail Mujaffarpur.

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• Bengalee Association, Bihar, affiliated Rammohun Roy Seminary, Patna, (founded on 1st February, 1897 by Pandit Shivanath Shastri) as Bengali Linguistic Minority Institution, in its meeting held on 3rd March, 2002.

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• In 2007 filed a PIL in Patna High Court for teaching of Bangla Language in all Govt. School. Hon'ble Patna High court vide CWJC-10258 directed that Secretary, Human Resources Development to take an appropriate decision in accordance with law so as to see that the Bengali Language could receive the significance and to re-include Bangla in the curriculum at the Intermediate level.

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• In 2009 successfully developed political consciousness of Banglabhashis of Bihar and led the campaign of 'Vote boycott' during Lok Sabha Election for appointing Bangla teachers, reprinting Bangla Text Books and restarting the teaching of Bangla in Govt. schools.

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• Bengalee Association, Bihar successfully fought Miscellaneous Jurisdiction Case No. 595 of 2015 in Patna High Court in which Govt of Bihar was directed to advertise the post of Assistant Professor in Bengali in Patna University, in PU (6), BRABU(11), MU (5), BNMU (13), TMBU (7), VKSU (2).

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• Fights for guarantee for the Safety of Personal Life & Property of Bangla speaking Displaced Persons coming from East Pakistan and Bangla Desh e.g. (a) Caste Certificate, (b) Right of the property, (c) Citizenship Certificate.

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• Helping to protect institutions, established and managed by Banglabhashis of Bihar.

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• Publishing and printing SANCHITA, the organ of Bengalee Association, Bihar as literary and news magazine covering social, cultural, political activities related with Bangla Language and Banglabhasis, not only from Bihar but from Banglabhashis living anywhere in lndia.

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• Publishing Behar Herald: One of the oldest English Weekly of lndia & 1st of Bihar, Behar Herald began its publication in 1875.In 1938 after formation of Bengalee Association, Bihar its ownership was transferred to the later. It made a record of continuous publication for 112 years. In 1987 its publication ceased. In 2015 Bengalee Association, Bihar took the decision to publish Behar Herald again as a new series. Since July 2015 it is being published regularly.

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• Fighting for rights of Bangla speaking population at National level hosted the first convention of Bharatiya Banglabhashi Mahasabha on 7th April 2008 at Patna and in 2017 hosted Annual Conference of All India Bengalee Association (AIBA) , New Delhi

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• Yearly holds 'Literary Fest' for Bengalees of Bihar.

 

 

The Aims of the Association are:-

 

(a) To promote unity, solidarity, co-operation and fellowship between the Banglabhashis and other communities in Bihar.

 

(b) Conserve the Bengali language and its culture.

 

(c) Safeguard the rights given to Bengali as a linguistic minority by the Constitution of India and State laws.

 

(d) Establish, acquire, affiliate and maintain educational, cultural and philanthropic institution.

 

(e) Assist and preserve existing educational and cultural institution, established and managed by the Bengalis of the State of Bihar.