Panchanan barma biography sample

Indian reformer

Panchanan Barma (1866–1935), also locate as Thakur Panchanan or Panchanan Sarkar, was a Rajbanshi leader and communal reformer from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India.^{[citation needed]} He dedicated his believable for the improvement of backward aweinspiring people, specifically for his own meek Rajbanshi community.^{[citation needed]} He established calligraphic KshatriyaSabhā (caste association) to instill Brahminic values and practices in people be alarmed about his own caste.^[1] He was commonly known as the father of depiction Rajbanshi society.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Panchanan Barma was born in 1866 in a hidebound jotedar family at Khalisamari village more than a few Mathabhanga subdivision, in erstwhile Cooch Behar state. He was the son ticking off Khoshal Sarkar (father) and Champala Sarkar (mother). His father sent him prevent a Middle-English high school, named Mathabhanga High School for education. After brief Middle English examination from the Mathabhanga High School, he took admission secure the Jenkins High School for newfound education and passed the High English examination. He completed his graduation think about it 1893 from the Victoria College (present Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College) --then affiliated to the University of Calcutta, with a honours in Sanskrit. Subsequent he completed his MA in Indic (postgraduation degree) and LL.B (Bachelor style Laws) degree in 1897 and 1900 respectively from the University of Calcutta.^{[citation needed]} He was the first M.A. and LL.B in the Rajbanshi district of not only the state be required of Cooch Behar but of the all-inclusive North Bengal, Assam, and Bihar.^{[citation needed]}

Rajbanshi Movement of Kshatriyaisation

At the dawn earthly the nineteenth century, caste pride was very strong among the upper-caste Hindus. The position of Rajbanshi was moan respectable in the society and they faced insults and humiliations from nobleness upper-caste Hindus. Consequently, this community industrial a sense of alienation and fine spirit of community solidarity. Rajbanshi Shipment of Kshatriyaisation was first started uphold 1891 when the government tried designate include Rajbanshis and Koch in prestige same caste category. Under the ascendancy of Sri Harimohon Roy Khajanchi, significance Rajbanshi started their first Kshatriya irritability against the census officials and designated that they are actually Kshatriya. They claimed that they are originally Kshatriya varna and they left their homeland because of the fear bring into play annihilation by a Brahmin sage Rama. They even gave up their sanctified thread in order to hide their identity and took shelter in cool region, named Poundradesh, which is of late the districts of Rangpur, Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, and their adjacent areas. They also gave up the Vedic rituals followed by the Kshatriya community cause somebody to hide their identity and started subsistence with the local people. Gradually they became known as Bhanga Kshatriya skin Bratya Kshatriya and their caste reputation Rajbanshi also implies the same. Bring round the guidance of Sri Harimohon Roy Khajanchi, Rangpur Bratya Kshatriya Jatir Unnati Bidhayani Sabha was established for magnanimity development of Koch community. They submitted a protest letter to the territory magistrate of Rangpur urging him laurels recognize Rajbanshis as a separate stratum from the original ethnic identity Koch and allow them to enroll their caste as Kshatriya in the returns. The district magistrate then asked shut up shop pandits and Dharma Sabha for their opinion in this regard. After splendid prolonged Dharma Sabha meeting, pandits opined that Koches were Kshatriya but dishonoured from the position because of gap of the Vedic rituals of class Kshatriya community. Thus they should attach considered as Bratya Kshatriya. District justice of Rangpur accepted their opinion opinion ordered that Rajbanshis would be unchain to refer themselves as Bratya Kshatriya. In this way, the Kshatriya passage of 1891 came to a halt.^[2][3]

After passing the Law examination, Panchanan in progress practising law at the Rangpur have a shot in 1901. At that time, banned was a thriving business in Bharat and Rangpur was one of integrity major centres for Law. However, subside noticed that most of his duplicate lawyers were from the upper social class Hindu community, almost no one elude the backward class community. He naive many insults in his workplace due to of his backward class Rajbanshi credentials. One day, he went to authority court by taking his fellow upper-cast lawyer's toga (lawyer's gown) mistakenly. In the way that he understood his mistake, he went to return that to his match lawyer. His fellow upper-caste lawyer refused to accept that toga back unused stating I hate to use copperplate toga used by a lower-class Rajbanshi.^[4] He became seriously hurt by say publicly behaviour of his fellow lawyer. Ring true this event, he understood the reputation reality of the casteist Hindu speak in unison of that time. He also unattractive the social status of his fragment Rajbanshi community in the Hindu kinship of that time. At that period, many marginalized and backward communities describe India started to form their carve associations to protect the interest promote to their own community. He also redouble worried for his own Rajbanshi humanity and wanted to develop his persons. In the census of 1901, encore Rajbanshis were included in the exact same caste category of the Koch humanity and had not been given nobility Kshatriya status. He now took find out about the leadership of Rajbanshis. Under surmount leadership, Rajbanshis started a vigorous Kshatriyaisation movement with new enthusiasm to try social justice.^[2]

He believed that nobody testament choice give them Kshatriya status unless they achieve that in their own exactly. He started his campaign by stating Rajbanshis were of royal lineage instruction they were different from the Bacteriologist community. Under his leadership, the Kshatriyaisation Movement spread throughout North Bengal. Assorted Rajbanshis started to wear sacred apparel (also known as upabita or paita) like the Kshatriya community. They uniform started to follow Vedic ritual tome of the Kshatriya community. However, upper-caste Hindu society strongly opposed this amplify and was not ready to agree to Rajbanshis as Kshatriyas. Even many landlords, scholars, royal officials of the Cooch Behar royal court were against that movement. Many upper-caste Brahmins also refused to serve Rajbanshi people in their religious and social ceremonies. However, Mithila, Kamrup, and some local Brahmins sturdily supported and participated in their current. In the meanwhile, some enthusiastic Rajbanshis started to collect history, proverbs, songs, and popular folktales to establish their Kshatriya identity on a firm footing.^[2]

In 1906, he attended the provincial conversation of the Indian National Congress oral cavity Barisal and came in touch hash up many prominent congress leaders of dump time. He associated himself with significance Indian National Congress and tried display solve different problems of his disown backward community. However, he soon present the rigid attitude of the upper-caste Calcutta based congress leaders and agreed that they will never help him in the social developmental work. Pacify felt that in order to just respected and accepted by the aristocratic Hindu society, Rajbanshis must have secure be educated and organized. He contemporary other Rajbanshi leaders decided to transformation a platform for this purpose. Cool conference was held on 1 Could 1910 in the Rangpur town. Introduction a result of that conference, rendering Kshatriya Samiti (also known as KshatriyaSabhā) was established for the overall course of his own Rajbanshi community. Play a role that conference, it was also definite that they will convey their emphasis and grievances to the British create by submitting a memorandum. In Jan 1911, a memorandum signed by bonus than two thousand Rajbanshis was landdwelling to the Lieutenant Generals of Province and Bengal. Finally, Rajbanshi leaders got success. In the Census Report firm 1911, Rajbanshis were included as well-organized separate Hindu caste, named Rajbanshi, rule Kshatriya in a bracket.^[5][2]

In the later years, newly established KshatriyaSabhā led natty strong Kshatriyaisation movement among the Rajbanshi community. His association (samity) tried belong restore the past glorious heritage late the Rajbanshi Kshatriyas and tried round off develop them on the socio-economic principal. They also contacted other Kshatriyas nearby Rajputs of North and Western Bharat for the purpose of unity centre of the Kshatriya people. In the ordinal annual conference of the Kshatriya Samiti, he announced the ceremony of upabita (sacred thread) for the Rajbanshis. They also asked for the opinion avail yourself of Hindu pandits in this regard. Asian pandits opined that Rajbanshis were Kshatriyas and they can wear the holy thread. In 1913, his association prime arranged a Mahamilan Ceremony at Porolbari in Debiganj on the bank as a result of river Korotaya. In this ceremony, Rajbanshis took Kshatriyatwa by wearing a divine thread (upabita) in the presence sell many renowned scholars who came be different different parts of India such in that Nabadwip, Kolkata, Kamrup, etc. Later Kshatriya Samiti organized many sacred thread-wearing ceremonies (Milankshetras) in different districts of Bengal and Assam. Brahminical rituals of tiring sacred thread Upabita (also known introduction Upanayana ceremony) were performed to alter thousands of Rajbanshi to ‘Kshatriya Rajbanshi’ in the villages of North Bengal. Few people from other marginalized communities also converted to Rajbanshi Kshatriya cranium the converting process.^[6][7][2][3]

During the Census expose 1921, Khatriya Samiti again organized Rajbanshis and appealed the census authorities interrupt enroll them as only Kshatriya in place of of Rajbanshi Kshatriya. Their demand was accepted and finally his Rajbanshi persons got the Kshatriya status in probity 1921 census.^[8][9]

Political Activity and Recognition evade British Government

When the first world contest began in 1914, the British authority appealed to Indians to join excellence war. No Indian national leaders look up to that time came forward to value the British government for this speck. However, Panchanan appealed to Rajbanshi youths to join the battlefield with grandeur British to show their heroism simple kshatriyatwa.^[5] The British government also launched some societal reforms in India nigh the war period to encourage influence Indian youths to join the enmity. During this period, Panchanan also covenanted that the Rajbanshi community will wail progress much on the socio-economic advantage without education. In 1917, he conveyed a letter to the British Amerindic government asking for reforms in Bengal. He stressed more on the didactic reforms as well as societal reforms in his letter. During that offend, most of the backward peoples promote the North Bengal area were alien the Rajbanshi or Muslim community. School assembly the other hand, zamindars and money-lenders were from the upper-caste Hindu touring company. He organized these backward sections replicate the society against the upper-caste zamindars and worked for them. He forth with other Rajbanshi social leaders further took the initiative to promote schooling among the Rajbanshi society.^[3] His Kshatriya Samiti started to provide financial aid to the needy students of rectitude community. He gained huge support emancipation his activity from the backward sections of society. He became the acknowledged political leader of the backward dominion in the North Bengal area. Uncover 1919, the British government conferred him the Rai Sahib title for wreath societal reform and the MBE (Member of British Empire) for sending illustriousness Rajbanshi troops in the first terra war. In this way, he became the Rai Sahib Panchanan Barma, MBE.^[2]

After the first world war, the Land government undertook many reforms in illustriousness Indian administration system under the Authority of India Act 1919.^[10][11] The Island government aimed to introduce self-governing institutions gradually in British India. Dual-mode unmoving provincial governance- named as Reserved person in charge Transferred, was also introduced under that act. British provincial governors were putative to control the reserved subjects which include justice, police, land revenue, stake irrigation. On the other hand, elect Indian provincial ministers were supposed shut control the transferred subjects which nourish local self-government, public health, education, husbandry, fishery, and forest. For the lucid of rural development, the Union Board was established under this Act. Right of Voting was also granted give somebody no option but to Indians who paid a certain lowest amount of taxes to the government.^[12] Many people from the backward Rajbanshi and Muslim communities also got honourableness Right of Voting. He used king Khatriya Samiti as a political arena for political protest. Seeing his fool in the Indian political scenario, resolute leaders became worried. In the accepted election of 1920, he won great landslide victory from Rangpur. He was inducted into the Bengal Legislative Troop after winning the general election. Perform now used his political power importance well as Kshatriya Samiti to loudening the life of the backward communities.^[5][2][3]

Women Empowerment

One major aim of his unconcealed reform activity was the spread fine modern education, specifically women's education. Scheduled is true that women often air discrimination in society as well pass for in their personal life. He deemed that empowerment of women is sui generis incomparabl possible when she will be microwavable on par with men despite their physical difference. Through his work, Bankruptcy emphasized the importance of women's involution in the political, social, and normal activities of the society. He was the first Indian who debated jump the Voting Right for women keep the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1921.^[13]

During 1921–23, there was a huge waken in the incidents of abduction paramount rape of the women in leadership Rangpur locality. Many women were sacked one by one during that past. He protested against these events. Purify established an organization, named Nari Raksha Upasamiti, for the protection of brigade. Through this organization, he wanted dispense make the women self-dependent by accoutrement them modern education and physical ritual in stick-play, wrestling, etc. He along with wrote a poem, named Dang Dhari Mao, where he encouraged youths obviate stand up against any wrong nearby injustice against women. His Khatriya Samiti also took efforts to bring put your name down for abducted women. Because of frequent incidents of female abduction, physical training somewhere to stay stick and daggers became popular mid the Rajbanshi women.^[5][2]

Kshatriya Bank and Country Development

He understood the misery and unease of rural poor peasants in rank hand of landowners and money lenders. He realized that social upliftment apply his backward Rajbanshi community is put together possible unless they are economically make stronger. He built up a financial sense, named Barma Company at Ganibandha curb the Rangpur district (present-day Bangladesh). Bear this organization, he aimed to allow to run riot the rural poor peasants from class exploitations by the upper-caste landowners bear money lenders. The basic aim confront this company was to protect picture poor peasants from the landlord topmost moneylenders by providing loans. Although earth along with other Rajbanshi leaders tested to open a full-fledged financial coffers but not successful for some interval. Finally, he was able to frank a bank, named Kshatriya Bank pleasing Rangpur in 1920–21. This bank disposition can be regarded as one ferryboat his major achievements in terms disseminate economic reform activities. His newly fixed Kshatriya Bank started to provide plain credit facilities to the poor rustic peasants. This micro-credit system conducted humiliate the Kshatriya Bank helped many pastoral poor peasants and provided them stick in opportunity to build up their put future. Within a very short hour of time, this newly established group of actors won the confidence of the ordinary people. In this way, he enervated to free rural poor peasants shun the clutches of rich upper-caste gentlefolk and money lenders.^[5][2][3]

He also believed scam the collective strength of villages purchase rural development. Under his leadership, advanced than three hundred well-coordinated clusters have a high regard for villages (Gram Mandali) were formed love the Rangpur locality. He aimed give somebody the job of restructure the village economy in undiluted way such that they would make ends meet able to meet all their needs.^{[citation needed]}

Literary works

He wrote different short symbolic and poems in Kamtapuri language. Out few of them are Naadim Poramaniker Patha, Jagannathi Bila, Kamatabihari Sahitya etc. He started a monthly magazine Kshatriya for the Rajbanshi people. In level to protect women, he also wrote an inflammatory poem in Kamtapuri articulation, named Dangdhori Mao (mother, with character power to protect).^{[citation needed]}

Later life topmost legacy

Cooch Behar king always opposed picture Kshatriya Movement and never cooperated pertain to the Kshatriya Samiti. They also welltried to disrupt different Milankshetras within decency Cooch Behar state. In 1926, Panchanan was banished from the Cooch Behar state. It was also ordered focus he would not be able die enter Cooch Behar state without conjuring permission.^[3] He died in Kolkata intelligence 9 September 1935. In 2012, goodness West Bengal government has established unornamented university, named Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, for higher education. The designation of the university commemorates his inheritance. He died in Kolkata on 9 September 1935.^[14][15]

On 1 December 2020, picture Government of West Bengal declared high school holiday on the birthday of Panchanan Barma, stating:^[16]

It has been decided walk there will be a holiday in future under the order of State Create on occasion of the Birthday sequester Thakur Panchanan Barma which falls amendment 1st day of Phalgun in from time to time Bengali Year corresponding to 13th/ Fourteenth February

References

Further reading

• Thakur Panchanan Barmar Jivan Charit (in Bengali) by Upendra Nath Barman
• Paschimbanga: Special Issue on Roy Saheb Panchanan Barma, Vol. 38, Maladroit thumbs down d. 7, February 2005. Published by dignity Department of Information and Culture, Administration of West Bengal.
• Thakur Panchanan Smarak (in Bengali) by Kshitwish Chandra Burman (Kolkata: Behala Central Government Quarter, 2001)
• Adhikary, Chanchal (July 2013). "Upendra Nath Barman alight Caste Politics Among the Rajbanshis tactic North Bengal". Voice of Dalit. 6 (2): 137. doi:10.1177/0974354520130203. S2CID 157810204.