Rangapur Literary Council

Janani Bangla Sahitya Sangshad

Formation	1905
Type	Literary Council
Headquarters	Rangpur Public Library Field
Location	Rangpur District Public Library Grounds
Official language	Bengali
First Founding President [1]	Kakina Zamindar Mahimaranjan Raychowdhury

Rangpur Sahitya Parishad is a literary organization located at Rangpur District Public Library Grounds. It is recognized as the first literary organization of the Rangpur region. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

History

At different times, due to the interest of zamindars and kings, the Rangpur Sahitya Parishad decided to build its own office, "Mahima Ranjan Saraswat Bhavan". Construction work was completed in 1913-1914, with an initial cost of 75 thousand rupees. Upon the proposal of the British ICS officer and district magistrate, the name of Mahima Ranjan Smriti Bhavan was changed to Edward Memorial Hall. Later, it was declared as the office of Rangpur Public Library instead of the literary council's office. ^[5] It was established on the 12th of Boishakh, 1312 Bengali year (April 1905). It is the only branch of the Bengal Sahitya Parishad that originated and developed outside Kolkata. It once played a key role as the center for historical researchers in Rangpur district and as a union of contemporary writers. Its activities included the collection of historical materials such as inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, ancient statues, and other archaeological artifacts, publishing journals, reprinting ancient books, and organizing regular discussion sessions for writers and researchers. It also encouraged research in the Bengali language. The local zamindars were directly involved in the formation of the council and contributed financially, with labor and resources for its growth. Zamindars Mritunjay Raychowdhury and Surendranath Raychowdhury of Kundi, as well as members of the Bengal Sahitya Parishad from Kolkata, led the formation of this organization. Zamindars from other parts of Bengal, such as Maharaja Manindrachandra Nandi of Kasimbazar, Murshidabad, Maharaja Rajendranarayan Bhup Bahadur and Maharaja Jitendranarayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar, Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Ray of Natore, and Kumar Sharatchandra Ray of Dighapatia (Rajshahi), also contributed significantly and became members of the organization.

The Rangpur Sahitya Parishad began with 28 members, managed by an executive committee of 13 members. Its lifelong president and secretary were Raja Mahimaranjan Raychowdhury of Kakina and Raja Surendranath Raychowdhury of Kundi. After Surendranath Raychowdhury's death in 1945, his eldest son Soumendrakumar Raychowdhury was elected the secretary. Under his leadership, with the abolition of the zamindari system in 1950, the council was also dissolved. ^[2]

In 1908, the current building of Rangpur Public Library was constructed in Greek architecture. A section of this building was used to expand the Bengal Sahitya Parishad in 1311 Bengali year, at the initiative of Rabindranath Tagore, and in 1905 (1312 Bengali year), the Rangpur Sahitya Parishad was established as the first branch of the Bengal Sahitya Parishad in undivided India, next to the Rangpur Town Hall. ^[6] This British-style building still attracts attention. ^[7]

Newspaper

The council had two branches: Uttar Bangla Sahitya Sammilani and Rangpur Sahitya Parishad newspaper. The organization's official publication began as a quarterly literary magazine from September-October 1906. The magazine was divided into two sections. The first section contained folk tales, archaeology, and unpublished manuscripts from the northern Bengal region; the second section contained the annual reports, monthly activities, and descriptions of rare ancient manuscripts and their authors. From 1906 to 1939, it was published in 20 editions, edited by seven different editors. After the publication of the 1939 issue, the publication ceased due to the onset of World War II. All the copies, along with other important documents and collections, were destroyed during the Liberation War of 1971. Currently, the Rangpur Museum houses a collection of ancient artifacts and rare manuscripts gathered from Tibet, Assam, and various parts of Bengal. ^[2] These were later transferred to the Rangpur Museum.

Publication style

The editions of Rangpur Sahitya Parishad magazine published each year were referred to as "Volumes" (or "Vols"). The first to seventh volumes were edited by Panchanan Sarkar, the eighth to thirteenth volumes by Bhavani Prabhasanna Lahiri, the fourteenth and fifteenth volumes by Nagendranath Sen, the sixteenth volume by Kalipada Bagchi, the seventeenth and eighteenth volumes by Surendra Chandra Ray Choudhury, and the nineteenth volume by Keshab Lal Basu. ^[4]

Current activities

The activities of the literary council continue to this day. ^[8]

References

1. "Lalmonirhat District". www.lalmonirhat.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
2. "Rangpur Sahitya Parishad - Banglapedia". bn.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
3. "Anniversary Issue". Jugantor. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
4. Council, Editor (2000). History of Rangpur District. Rangpur: Rangpur District Council. p. 579.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
5. "On the Path of Destruction: The Lighthouse of Literary Practice in Rangpur". mithapukur24news.com. 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
6. "Protests Against the Decision to Demolish a 150-Year-Old Structure in Rangpur". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2021-07-11.
7. "Dilapidated Building, No Repairs". Dainik Shiksha. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
8. "Rangpur Palio and Nakara Reports". mugdhota.com. Retrieved 2021-07-11.

Further reading

• A. S. Mahmud. "History of Rangpur Sahitya Parishad". 3rd Edition. Rangpur: Rangpur Sahitya Parishad, 1967.
• 'History of Rangpur Sahitya Parishad' (https://www.******.com). Accessed May 3, 2018.