Mahendranath Roy

Babu Mahendranath Roy CIE (1861-1925), was a Indian lawyer, independence activist, social worker, educationist and a politician. He was involved in the Indian freedom movement and was the first elected chairperson of the Howrah Municipal corporation. He was one of the founders of Asutosh College in Calcutta and was one of the most influential people of Howrah. For his political works, commendable legal career and contributions to society, he was awarded the Companion of the Indian Empire in 1924.

Early life

He was born on 29th October 1861, in an aristocratic Mahishya family of Tajpur, located in present day Amta police station area of Howrah district. His father's name was ''Girijaprasanna Roy,'' and his mother was ''Phulkumari Devi''. Mahendranath lost his father at an early age, and as a result, he was raised with great care and affection under the strict supervision of his grandfather '' Babu'' ''Jadunath Roy.''

''Jadunath Babu'' built a large residence on Khurut Road which is now known as Netaji Subhas Road in Howrah and arranged for Mahendranath's education there. Mahendranath was a very bright student. He passed the Entrance Examination from Howrah Zilla School with high distinction and a scholarship, and then enrolled at Presidency College, Calcutta. He secured the first position in the F.A. (First Arts) examination, and in 1883, he passed the B.A. examination, standing first in the first division, earning the prestigious Ishan Scholarship. Subsequently, he earned his M.A. from the University of Calcutta in 1884, earning a first position in First division. Following that he completed his B.L. in 1886 while being a Lecturer of Mathematics at the City College, Kolkata.

Career

In 1884, he joined the Calcutta High Court as a Pleader and represented many clients in many big cases in the Calcutta High court, he earned the reputation of a hugely learned and empathetic legal practitioner, he was respected by both his colleagues and adversaries. He was known for his unmatched oratory in the courtroom. In 1891, he was elected a Fellow of the University of Calcutta, and from 1911 to 1920, he served as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He was also a professor of Mathematics and Law at City College, and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calcutta. In 1924, he was elected the President of the Bar association of the Calcutta High Court. In 1914, largely due to his efforts, the proposed relocation of Shibpur Engineering College from Howrah to Dhaka was successfully prevented.

Works

* Improvement of street lighting in the city

During Roy’s tenure as Chairman of the Howrah Municipality, electric lighting was installed on all paved roads. Even in unpaved roads and also in slum areas, the number of kerosene lamps was reduced and electric lighting was introduced. In 1916, the last gas lamp was removed from Howrah city.

Under Act No.5 of 1873, the Howrah Municipality was empowered to levy an additional 3% tax to cover the expenses of gas lighting on the streets. Later, on September 1, 1932, a new agreement was signed between the Howrah Municipality and the Calcutta Electric Supply Company, which significantly reduced electricity costs. As a result, the number of electric lamp posts increased, while the number of kerosene lamps declined.

* Contributions in Academia

In 1873, he joined Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar's Indian association for the cultivation of Science and was one of its founding members. He had an aptitude for Mathematics, and he was made the head of Mathematics department there and published many journals on the subject. He published two books by the name of "Algebra Part I & II". He was made a honourary member of the Royal Mathematical society in London.

Personal life

In 1878, Mahendranath Roy married, Prabodhmayee Devi, the eldest daughter of Babu Srinibash Panja, a famous Jotedar.

Death & Legacy

In 16th August, 1925 Mahendranath Ray died at the age of 64 in his house at Bhowanipore of Calcutta. His funeral was attended by most of the eminent personalities of the city and whole of Bengal at that time, such as Birendranath Sasmal, Sarat Chandra Bose and J M Sengupta. A huge procession was organised by the Indian National Congress.

In the city of Howrah, near Shibpur, there is a road called "Mahendra Nath Roy Ln" named after him which connects the Grand Trunk Road and the Netaji Subhash road. In the front of the building of Howrah Municipal Corporation his bust stands, a garland is placed every year, on the founding day of the institution.{{Cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cd6ZAAAAIAAJ&q=mahendranath+roy+pleader , title=Man and Life , date=1992 , publisher=Institute of Social Research and Applied Anthropology , language=en Moreover, in his native village of Tajpur, near Amta, he founded a school called "Tajpur Mahendranath Roy institution" which continues to perform well.

Reference

1861 births
1925 deaths

Lawyers
University of Calcutta alumni
University of Calcutta people
Presidency University, Kolkata
People from Howrah district
Founders of Indian schools and colleges
Indian social reformers
People from the Bengal Presidency
Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
Presidency University, Kolkata alumni
Bengali zamindars
Academic staff of the University of Calcutta
London Mathematical Society