Womesh Chandra Bannerjee (or Umesh Chandra Banerjee by current English orthography of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

names; 29 December 1844 – 21 July 1906) was an Indian barrister. He was a co-founder and the first president of

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British ...

. Born on 1844 at

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commerc ...

, he studied at the

Oriental Seminary The Oriental Seminary started in 1829 by the educator Gour Mohan Addy, was the earliest privately run, first-rate school for children of Hindu parents in Kolkata (then known as Calcutta). It was open only to boys of Hindu parents. It was possibly ...

and the Hindu School. His career began in 1862 when he joined the firm of W. P. Gillanders, attorneys of the

Supreme Court, as a clerk where he acquired a knowledge of law. In 1864 he was sent to England where he joined the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in June 1867. He returned to Calcutta in 1868 and within a few years he became the most sought after barrister in the High Court. He was the first Indian to act as a Standing Counsel, in which capacity he officiated four times 1882, 1884, 1886-87. In 1883 he defended

Surendranath Banerjee Sir Surendranath Banerjee often known as Rashtraguru ( bn, Rāṣṭraguru, Teacher of the Nation; 10 November 18486 August 1925) was Indian nationalist leader during the British Rule. He founded a nationalist organization called the Indian Na ...

contempt of court Contempt of court, often referred to simply as "contempt", is the crime of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice, and dignity of the cou ...

case against him in the Calcutta High Court. He was the fellow of

Calcutta University The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...

and was the president of its law faculty. He retired from the Calcutta bar in 1901. He presided over the first session of the

held at Bombay in 1885 from 28 to 31 December. In the 1886 session held at Calcutta, he proposed the formation of

standing committees A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

of the Congress in each province for the better co-ordination of its work and it was on this occasion that he advocated that the Congress should confine its activities to political matters only. He was the president of the

again in the 1892 session in

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administra ...

where he denounced the position that India had to prove for worthiness of political freedom. He moved to Britain and practiced before the Privy Council. He financed the British Committee of Congress and its journals in London. In 1865

Dadabhai Naoroji Dadabhai Naoroji (4 September 1825 – 30 June 1917) also known as the "Grand Old Man of India" and "Unofficial Ambassador of India", was an Indian political leader, merchant, scholar and writer who served as 2nd, 9th, and 22nd President of t ...

founded the London Indian society and Bonnerjee was made its general secretary. When Bonnerjee became the Congress president Naoroji along with him, Eardley Norton and William Digby opened The Congress Political Agency, a branch of Congress in London. He unsuccessfully contested the

1892 United Kingdom general election The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury again win the greatest number of seats, but no longer a majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won 80 more seats ...

as a Liberal party candidate for the Barrow and Furness seat. In 1893, Naoroji, Bonnerjee and

Badruddin Tyabji Badruddin Tyabji (10 October 1844 – 19 August 1906) was an Indian lawyer, activist and politician during British Raj. Tyabji was the first Indian to practice as a barrister of the High Court of Bombay who served as the third President of ...

founded the Indian Parliamentary Committee in England.

Birth and Ancestry

Bonnerjee was born on 2 December 1844 at

(now Kolkata), in the present-day state of West Bengal. He belonged to a very respectable '' Rarhi'' Kulin Brahmin family who hailed from Baganda, located west of the town of

Howrah Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is the ...

in present-day state of West Bengal. His grandfather ''Pitambur Bonnerjee'' first migrated to

(now Kolkata) and settled there. From his mother's side, ''Womesh Chandra'' was descended from the renowned Sanskrit scholar and philosopher Pundit '' Juggonath Turkopunchanun'' of Tribeni, Hooghly District in present-day West Bengal.

Early days

Bonnerjee studied at the

and the Hindu School. In 1859, he married Hemangini Motilal. His career began in 1862 when he joined the firm of W. P. Gillanders, attorneys of the

Supreme Court, as a clerk. In this post he acquired a good knowledge of law which greatly helped him in his later career. In 1864 he was sent to England through a scholarship from Mr. R. J. Jijibhai of

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

where he joined the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in June 1867. On his return to Calcutta in 1868, he found a patron in Sir Charles Paul,

Barrister-at-Law A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and g ...

of the Calcutta High Court. Another barrister, J. P. Kennedy, also greatly helped him to establish his reputation as a lawyer. Within a few years he became the most sought after barrister in the High Court. He was the first Indian to act as a Standing Counsel, in which capacity he officiated four times 1882, 1884, 1886-87. In 1883 he defended

in the famous

case against him in the Calcutta High Court. He was the fellow of

and was the president of its law faculty and often represented it in the legislative council. He retired from the Calcutta bar in 1901.

As a president of Indian National Congress

He presided over the first session of the

held at Bombay in 1885 from 28 to 31 December and attended by 72 members. In the 1886 session held at Calcutta, under the presidency of

, he proposed the formation of

again in the 1892 session in

founded the London Indian society and Bonnerjee was made its general secretary. In December 1866, Naoroji dissolved the society and formed East Indian Association. When Bonnerjee became the Congress president Naoroji along with him, Eardley Norton and William Digby opened The Congress Political Agency, a branch of Congress in London. He lived in Croydon and named his residence after his birthplace Khidirpur. The Liberal party made him his candidate for the Barrow and Furness seat in

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

. Bonnerjee was defeated by Charles Cayzer, a Tory candidate. In the same elections Naoroji won the Finsbury Central constituency and defeated his nearest rival by a narrow margin of only 5 votes. Naoroji became the first Indian member of the British Parliament. In 1893, Naoriji, Bonnerjee and

founded the Indian Parliamentary Committee in England.

Personal life

A daughter, Janaki Majumdar, studied natural science, chemistry, zoology and physiology at Newnham College,

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

while another daughter, Susila Anita Bonnerjee was a doctor, teacher, and suffragette.

References

External links

Indian National Congress Website

W.C. Bonnerjee : a sketch of his life and career
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnerjee, Womesh 1844 births 1906 deaths Bengali activists Bengali lawyers Presidents of the Indian National Congress Indian barristers Members of the Middle Temple Politicians from Kolkata Indian independence activists from West Bengal Oriental Seminary alumni Hindu School, Kolkata alumni Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal 19th-century Indian lawyers People from Kolkata 19th-century Indian politicians 20th-century Indian politicians 20th-century Indian lawyers