Twilight gradually descends upon the horizon, adding a shade of serenity to the evening. Ashok and Ananda, my brothers and I sit together with our elder sister, Bijaylakshmi in the drawing room of a flat in Kolkata. The fading light creates a somber mood and we engage in an intense and emotional conversation, reminiscing about our childhood and the difficult times, we had been through. Inevitably, the issue of ‘migration’ came up. I said “The issue has been impacting the geo-political situation the world over throughout history. Without migration, human civilization would not have expanded like it has today.”
Ashok said “Take our family, for instance”. Ananda asks Bijaylakshmi if she has any memory of the circumstances under which the family had to flee East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) in 1957, ten years after the partition of Bengal in 1947 and migrate to West Bengal. Bijaylakshmi goes back to 1957, when she was only six years old and she was not able to understand why a pall of gloom descended upon the family, why they were having to leave their home, why she was forced to part from her playmates and the domestic staff who were like her family. And she recalled how she was sobbing uncontrollably while her friends held her tight, and she was being pulled away from their embrace. For she knew that they were embarking on an unknown journey. Ashok, just two years old, was jubilant because he was all excited at the prospect of moving to a new place.
Ananda chipped in, “As far as I know, our family has had a long history of migration. We have been told since childhood that our family roots go back to Punjab. That was also a forced migration, when Manna Lal Roy, our forefather had to flee Punjab and take shelter in a totally unknown terrain – Rangpur (now in Bangladesh), having covered a distance of almost 2000 kilometers.
I said “I have chanced upon a history of our family. The founder of this family, Manna Lal Roy, belonged to the Kshatriya sub-sect of the Sikh community of Punjab. It is recorded that after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, the Sikh power grew greatly, and under the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the Sikhs became an organized military force known as the Khalsa. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh was killed, and the Sikh leader Banda Bahadur (1670-1716) took up leadership and waged war against the Mughals.
The Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I (1643-1712) strongly suppressed the Sikh rebellion. There was anarchy all around. Manna Lal Roy had to get away from Punjab and so he moved east. He found refuge in Mahiganj, Rangpur. This is where he started seeking his fortune.
He was a jeweler by profession, dealing in diamonds and gems, and Rangpur was an important trading centre in the region. Manna Lal resumed his business here and gradually acquired a considerable amount of wealth by trading in expensive diamonds and other jewels. As the market in these thrived, the surrounding area came to be known as ‘Tajhat’ Over time he bought vast stretches of land in Rangpur and the neighboring areas, enhancing his social standing. This is how the Tajhat Zamindari (Estate) was founded in Rangpur in the early 18th century.
It is not exactly known as to how the family gradually embraced Hindu faith. The family deity of ‘Lakshminarayan’1 was worshiped (is being worshiped in the family temple in Raiganj to date) along with the Guru Granth Sahib 2 for which an exclusive place was allocated next to an ancient Jain temple.
The lineage continued through generations: Manna Lal Roy- Dhanpat Roy- Upendra Lal Roy, Giridhari Lal Roy and finally Gobinda Lal Roy, from whose time we get a more or less clear history. Giridhari Lal Roy did not have any son and adopted Gobinda Lal Roy, son of a wealthy Punjabi merchant of Calcutta. It is believed that Gobinda Lal Roy refused to meet his biological mother when she came to see him because she had sold her son. He refused to acknowledge her as his mother.
The Punjabi ancestry was also maintained from the women who married into the family. Gobinda Lal Roy married a Sikh lady from Punjab. After having given birth to a girl child, she died. Gobinda Lal was extremely attached to his daughter. He married the second time, Sharatsundari Devi, a Punjabi Hindu Kshatriya. A son and two daughters were born to them.
Gobinda Lal Roy donated large sums to Mayo Hospital in Kolkata and the Lewis Jubilee Sanatorium in Darjeeling. In recognition of his generosity and good governance, the British government awarded him the title of Raja in 1888, Raja Bahadur in 1892, and Maharaja in 1897. In 1890, during his time, Tajhat High School was established. However, he could not enjoy the honour for long. On 12th June of 1897, a massive earthquake caused the palace to collapse; he was seriously injured. Even though all efforts were made to bring British doctors from Kolkata for treatment, Gobinda Lal died.
Gobinda Lal Roy’s eldest daughter was married to Umaprosad Roychowdhury, another zamindar in Rangpur and their son, Debiprasad Roychowdhury grew up to be a celebrated artist-sculptor and painter.3
Gopal Lal Roy was still a minor when his father died. Responsibility of the vast estate was entrusted to his mother, Maharani Sharatsundari Devi and his maternal grandfather, Ram Krishna Mehta. The estate was then placed under the British Court of Wards and in 1908, upon becoming an adult, Gopal Lal regained control of the zamindari.
Gopal Lal Roy studied in Hare School in Kolkata. Then he was sent to Raipur Rajkumar College and then to the Central Provinces for higher education. But when his mother Sharatsundari died in 1905, he left college, returned to Tajhat, and was privately tutored by three British teachers. He had developed a keen interest in all forms of sports though he excelled in Polo. He set up the famous British Indian Tajhat Football team in 1905 which became the precursor to the East Bengal Club of Kolkata. He supported the most famous footballer of the time, Syed Abdus Samad, known as the Football Magician and the latter revered him deeply. He sponsored a trophy in the name of his father. Gobind Lal Champion Trophy is still awarded to the winning team in a tournament in Rangpur.
Gopal Lal was also involved in different kinds of social and cultural initiatives across the district. He patronized theatre, literature, classical music, circuses. Well known classical musicians, theatre personalities, gymnasts participated in annual cultural events held at Tajhat Palace. He was in close touch with Abbasuddin (1901-1959), the legendary folk singer.
On 3rd June 1912 and 3rd June 1918 respectively, Gopal Lal received the titles of Raja and Raja Bahadur from the British government, although later, he fell foul of the colonial state for providing discreet support to the Indian national movement.
After the old Rajbari was destroyed in 1897, a new one was built by Raja Gopal Lal Roy. It remains an architectural marvel – a synthesis of European and Islamic architectural styles in a stunning ensemble. It is now a Museum in Rangpur with a rich collection of sculptures, manuscripts, coins and artifacts.
Many of this information I gathered later and put together to give the story of our family and its larger context.4
Gopal Lal was survived by his only son our Baba, Bhairab Lal Roy and his daughter, our Pishimoni Sudharani. Our families are very closely connected to this day.
Meanwhile, our evening chat continued…
Ashok added, “We have heard that Gobinda Lal Roy was extremely flamboyant and temperamental. He would flare up in fits of rage and would take time to cool down. His son, Gopal Lal, on the other hand, was elegant and graceful, not flamboyant at all. He was admired and respected by all.”
Bijaylakshmi recalled, “Bhaiya’ (Gopal Lal) as we his grandchildren fondly called him, was extremely fond of children. He used to become a child when he was in the company of his grandchildren and their friends. I remember him always cuddling me, since I was the first born and the only grandchild from his son’s side who he lived to see. Ashok, you were born immediately after he expired and both of you Ananda and Abhijit were born in Raiganj. ‘Bhaiya’ became a father-figure to many in the extended family who came to live in Tajhat Palace and respected and loved him deeply. Radharani, our grandmother whose family had also migrated from Punjab was very close to her brother as they had lost their mother when he was a child. She became a mother to him. Later, his family became a part of the Tajhat family. The family ties still remain strong.
Ananda remarked, “The story of migration continued when our family had to migrate to Raiganj under compelling circumstances, almost overnight when General Ayub Khan imposed military rule in Pakistan in 1957 and East Pakistan. We have heard from our mother that after our family moved to Raiganj, I was born in a relative’s place where our family had initially taken shelter and after Baba purchased some property and constructed a house in Raiganj, Abhijit, you were born in that newly constructed home.”
Ashok continued, “And then we moved again. Baba, Bhairab Lal, fell critically ill and for better treatment, we had to shift to Kolkata into a dinghy house; sunlight would not enter the ground floor of that house making it gloomy. Damp surfaces of the wall made it worse. After Baba died in 1965, we held each other close. Those were hard but joyful days too!
I remember the house being always vibrant with laughter, songs, plays, relatives always pouring in; there was never ever a dull moment! And a very special part of this period after we lost Baba, was that our uncle, Debiprasad whom we called ‘Tayaji’ (father’s elder brother in Hindi) and who was living just across the road took up the responsibility of shaping our intellectual minds. We used to spend hours seeing him paint and sculpt giant-sized figures in his studio attached to the house. We had the opportunity of meeting many noted intellectuals and distinguished persons who came to see him from around the world.
Ananda concluded, “While the three of you are settled in Kolkata, I ventured on another journey to the USA way back in 1984. However, I am happy that while I am living in the US for almost last forty years, I have kept my base in Kolkata where I come back to be with all of you.
It was dark outside when we ended our conversation. Bijaylakshmi said “Let this darkness go, let there be a new dawn”
We, the children of Bhairab and Gita Roy:
Bijaylaksmi Burman (nee Roy) is a distinguished elocutionist and stage-actress.
Ashok became a prominent footballer while playing in the junior team of Mohun Bagan, leading club of Kolkata. After a serious knee injury he had taken to photography and became a distinguished photographer and then an art-dealer. Sadly, he passed away.
Ananda did his doctorate in Molecular Biology and is currently associated with the National Institute of Health, Washington. He is passionate about painting and playing the Tabla .
I am a senior Human Resources Management professional and am passionately involved with music and dramatics.
And the family goes on…
Abhijit Lal Roy is the youngest son of Bhairab and Gita Roy. After completing his graduation with honours in History, he joined a reputed organisation as a management trainee in the Personnel Department. He subsequently completed a post graduate Diploma in Personnel Management from a leading business school in Kolkata. Professionally he made his way up and assumed roles in many different local and multinational companies.
After retirement, he continues to work as consultant in Human Resource Management. Outside his professional work, he is engaged in supporting and spreading value based education among the disadvantaged rural children with his wife Arpita. They both also actively support initiatives taken for social justice. He also organizes cultural events, plays and musical soirees.
Footnotes
- The idol of God Vishnu and his consort Goddess Lakshmi
- The Holy Book of the Sikhs
- Dr, Debiprasad Roychowdhury is widely known for his landmark installations like ‘ Triumph of Labour’ and the ‘ Martyr’s Memorial’ in Patna and the group sculpture comprising 11 figures on Quit India Movement located near the Rashtrapati Bhavan at New Delhi
- Bongsho Porichoy- Volume-3, Rangpur District Gazette, 1911; Information provided by Sri Prakash Chandra Chowdhury and the Rangpur District Gazette, 1911; Gour Raj Mala- Vol-I. Thanks to Shri Akshay Kumar Maitreya for this reference
খুব ভালো লাগলো অভিজিৎ, তোদের পরিবারের ইতিহাস জেনে।
Really enjoyed reading the account of your ancestors.
This is such a gripping write up, I enjoyed reading it more because I have heard these stories from Lal Roy family ever since my Sister In Law Arpita is married in this family.