Introduction
Barrackpore sub-division, under District of North 24 Parganas in the state of West Bengal, is an old and famous administrative territory , dotted with people from almost all provinces of India. It is a place of historical significance in many ways, and the revolt for independence of 1857 got off to a start from here, by the legendary martyr, Mangal Pandey.
The present administrative set up of this sub-division consists of 16 Municipalities, 2 Blocks, One Cantonment Board , 13 Police Stations . It holds the prestige of having one international airport.
The only Military Cantonment and Police Training Academy of the state are both located in this sub-division. Essentially, this is an urbanised sub-division. This sub-division consists of eleven Assembly Constituencies and two parliamentary constituencies. The rate of literacy in this sub-division is above the average standard of the state and district.
The subdivision is well connected with road, railways and air. Moreover it enjoys the benefit of important water ways of the Hooghly river which flows through the western part of this subdivision paving the way of setting up of large nos. of industries on its bank like jute, engineering, paper, cotton mills etc, at the very early days besides a strong Small Scale, Cottage and Handicraft sector. The subdivision also has a strong human resource connected with many colleges and technical institutions, universities.
History
Barrackpore was previously known as Chanak. Chanak, along with other places, is mentioned in the Manasa Mangal (1495 AD) as cities on the bank of Bhagirathi: Saptagram, Kumarhatta, Bhatpara, Kankinara, Garulia, Ichapore, Chanak, Khardaha, Sukchar, Kamarhati, Ariadaha.
W.B. District Gazetteers, 24 Parganas ed. by the historian Barun De, 1994 refers to rich cultural and religious traditions of this subdivision. "After his initiation by Iswar Puri in 1510, Chaitatanya on his way to Puri stopped at several villages and town ships on the Bhagirathi. Kumarhatta or the present Halisahar was his first stop over, Khardah was his next stopover. Chaitanya then stopped at a very populous and prosperous village called Panihati. According to Chaitanyabhagabata no other village on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi was as populous and prosperous as Panihati in those days. Chaitanya's next stop over was at Baranagar. Places like Bhatpara, Kankinara, Mulajore, Garulia, Ichapore, Chanak were populous villages and towns on the bank of Bhagirathi even in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries."
The Statistical Account of Bengal by W.W. Hunter in 1857 mentions of the towns and villages of this subdivision on the banks of the Hooghly river as chief trading and marketing centres. "On The Hugli- Calcutta , the chief seat of commerce in India. ..Baranagar, Dakhineswar, Agarpara, Panihati, Sukchar. Khardah, Barrackpur, Nawabganj, Ichapore, Samnagar, Naihati and Halisahar contain large bazars for sale of miscellaneous goods."
Barrackpore has a chequered history. The earliest reference to this part of the country is found in the writings of the Greek navigators, geographers, chronicles and historians between the first century B.C. and the third century A.D. All of them have referred to the country of a people variously called the Gangaridae, Gangaridai, Gandaritai etc.
During Mughal reign Akbar the great divided Sube-Bangla in some ‘Sarkar’ and ‘Mahal’ for collection of revenue. His minister Todar Mal was the initiator of this proposal. The name of Barbuckpur is mentioned as a ‘Mahal’ in ‘Ain-e-Akbari’ which denotes the original name of Barrackpore.
Mentioned in the early Bengali Literature, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu passed through it in the 15th Century while proceeding to Puri. Nawab Sirajuddolla must have passed its streets to reach Kolkata to teach the British East India Company officials a lesson in the 18th century and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore often traveled by train through Barrackpore Railway Station while going to Sealidaha, presently in Bangladesh. The oldest British Barrack or cantonment in the Country came up here. Some opinion mentions that the name Barrackpore came from the Barrack. After the Crown's take over the sprawling Government House and the Government Estate was built here, more-famous as Lat Bagan, where a Zoo was also established at one k.m. north from the station, which was shifted to Alipore. The First War of Independence was triggered here by Sepoy Mangal Pandey in the Year 1857. In the year 1824 an earlier Sepoy Mutiny also occurred here under Sepoy Binda Tiwary.
The town had also been the dwelling place of Rastraguru Surendranath Baneriee, the Father of Indian Nationalism (Monirampore). Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was also born at Naihati under this subdivision. Rani Rashmoni was also born at Halishar. This sub-division is proud of having footprints of Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramkrishna, Vivekananda, Mahtama Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and others. In fact, this subdivision has a very distinguished contribution in the Freedom Movement and Indian Renaissance.
Mahatma Gandhi used to stay at Sodepur Khadi Ashram, which he described as his second home, during his visits at Bengal. The history of Barrackpore was further enhanced by the immersion of Mahatma Gandhi's Ashes here on the 12th February, 1948, after his demise on the 30th January, 1948 (2 k.m east of the Station, Talpukur) and establishment of the Gandhi Memorial Museum (3 k.m. west of the Station, Mistrighat More) commemorating the Father of the Nation (as declared by Netaii Subash Chandra Basu). Palta Water Works, which supply drinking water to kolkata, the Central Fisheries Research Institute, inventor of many hybrid fishes and famous Annapurna Mandir near Gandhi Ghat are some of the other land marks of the City.
Heritage and Culture
The subdivision takes the pride as Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhaya the famous creator of the "Bandematram" was born at Naihati, Kanthalpara, under this subdivision. Bandematarm became the source of inspiration for the freedom fighters all over India. Presently a Library and Research Institute exists at his birth place.
The Sepoy mutiny or the first war of India's independence of 1857 by the legendary martyr Mangal Pande occurred at Barrcakpore. Mangal Pandey Udyan bears his reminiscences.
During the Indian freedom struggle Barrackpore again became significant with presence of Rastraguru Surendra Nath Bandyopadhaya who was called the father of Indian Nationalist Movement.
The house of Surendranath at Barrackpore built on 10 Bigha land is now converted to Rastraguru Surendranath Institute and Netaji Open University.
Sodepur in the Barrackpore sub division, is historically famous for the Khadi Prathistan where historic decisions with regard to freedom struggle were taken by Gandhiji and other great leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose. In 1921 Satish Chandra Dasgupta, eminent Chemist, resigned from Bengal Chemicals influenced by the Gandhian thought of Swadeshi and set up the Ashram for Spinning, Weaving and making Cottage Industrial Commodities in an area of 17 Bigha. This ashram near the Sodepur Railway Station has a special place in the history of Freedom movement. Gandhiji termed this ashram as his second home and stayed at this Ashram at various times 1939, 1945, 1946, 1947 and lived here from five to seven weeks.
The subdivision is enriched in culture with people of various religions, customs, castes and states. Mandirs, Masjids, Gurudawara, Churches coexist here. Moreover there are many ashrams.
Halisahar the place where Ramprosad Sen, the famous devotee and noted poet of Shyama Sangeet was born, is also within the subdivision.
The Durga puja is the major festival which is held in the month of Autumn. Panihati and Khardaha are also famous having the footsteps of Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda about 500 years back. Annual festival and melas are held at these places which draw large nos. of devotees. Later on these places were further enriched with presence of Sri Ram Krishna Paramahansa, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and other famous persons. Noteable fairs : Kalpataru Utsav at Dakshineswar, Khardha Ras mela, Sodepur Gopastami mela, Panihati Dnada Mahotsav etc.
The Dakshineswar temple built by Rani Rasmoni. Adyapith mandir, Kasipur Udyan bati, Laxmi Narayan Mandir at Khardaha, Annapurna mandir at Barrackpore, Gandhi ghat, Panhati Mahotsabtala ghat, Barrackpore Lat bagan, Gandhi Musueum, Rahara Ramkrishna Mission Balakashram, Khardaha Ras Mandir/ Shyamsundar mandir, Baro mandir at Panihati, Bhita of Ramprosad at Halisahar etc.
It is on the western river bank of the Hooghly river that the famous Gandhi Ghat exits. A Gandhi museum nearby has rare collection of books, articles used by Gandhi.
Barrackpore subdivision was also enriched by many other eminent personalities and writers and patriots like poet Roy Gunakar Bharat Chandra - Shyamnagar, poet Mohitlal Majumadr- Kanchrapara, writer Sanjib Chandra Chattyopadhayay, scholar - Ganga Dhar Tarkabagis- Halisahar, Sanskrit Scholar Srijib Naytirtha- Bhatpara, Poet Satyendra Nath Dutta- Nimta, Historian Panchkari Bandyopadhya- Halisahar, Scholar Benoytosh Bhattacharyya- Naihati, Playwriter Kshirod Prosad Vidya Binod- Khardha, writer Kedarnath Bandyopadhya - Dakhsineswar, Journalist Sambhu Chandra Mukherjee - Baranagar, Sasipada Bandyopadhayay- Baranagar, Poet Banalata De- Baranagar, Scholar Hara Prasad Shastri - Naihati, Writer Trailokyanath Mukherjee- Jagatddal, Scholar Rangalal Mukherjee- Shyamnagar, Historian/ Linguist Harinath Dey- Ariadaha, writer Dina Bnadhu Mitra - Kanchrapara, who inspired the nation with Nildarpan drama, Journalist Phanindra Nath Mukherjee- Agarpara etc.
The district took a lead in the industrialisation of India in the British and pre independence days when range of industries came up like Jute mills, Engineering, Rubber, Textile, Paper, Chemical and Ordnance factories etc. Many big jute companies were started by the British.
Roads and Transport
The Barrackpore sub-division is well connected both by road and railways. With the two National Highways, NH-34 and NH-35 passing through it along with other important State Highways, most towns are well connected with Kolkata, Airport, Port and other important urban and commercial centres of the state.
Barrackpore Trunk Road (B. T. Road) is one of the oldest metal roads in India connecting Barrackpore to Kolkata. The Railway Line was setup in the year 1862. Being located in Suburban region of Kolkata, most municipalities of Barrackpore, are connected by local train with Kolkata. The railway line in Sealdah Section extends through this sub-division to Ranaghat , Bongaon, Dankuni, Howrah, Burdwan, Bandel. Circular and Metro Railway also extends easy communication facility of the sub-division.
There are plans for laying double Railway line to Hasnabad to improve connectivity. In January, 2002 the Rail connection to Bangladesh was reopened for goods movement to Benapole.
In the road sector, connectivity is being improved further with the KMDA developing Barrackpore-Dum Dum Expressway and the PWD having undertaken projects for widening of Jessore Road, widening and strengthening of B. T. Road and A.D.B assisted widening of NH-34 under North-South Corridor Project.
Another project at Belghoria Expressway has been started apart from ROB Projects undertaken at Madhyamgram, Birati and Kaikhali and Underpass at Dum Dum. The main roads number around 45 and other 55 links roads connect various towns and villages of the district.
Apart from the surface rails connectivity the Metro Rail Proposes to extend its operations to the Airport from Dum Dum.
The only International Airport in West Bengal located within the sub-division, Netaji Subhas International Airport at Dum Dum.
There are Ferry services in this sub-division using the water ways of the Hooghly River.
By Abhishek Dey Das
