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Basanta Kumar De: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Basanta Kumar | | name = Basanta Kumar Dey | ||
| image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] --> | | image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] --> | ||
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by the blind and visually impaired's speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by the blind and visually impaired's speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | ||
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| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | ||
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1897|03|09}} | | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1897|03|09}} | ||
| birth_place = [[Balasore]], [[Orissa]] | | birth_place = [[Balasore]], [[Orissa]], [[India]] | ||
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1975|08|31|1897|03|09}} | | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1975|08|31|1897|03|09}} ({{lang-bn|৭৯}}) | ||
| death_place = [[Calcutta]] | | death_place = [[Calcutta]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]] | ||
| nationality = | | nationality = | ||
| other_names = | | other_names = | ||
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| known_for = | | known_for = | ||
| notable_works = | | notable_works = | ||
| spouse = Pramila | | spouse = Pramila Dey ({{lang-bn|প্রমিলা দে}}) (née Gupta) ({{lang-bn|গুপ্ত}})<!-- Name (married nnnn–nnnn) --> | ||
| children = 1 | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Basanta Kumar | '''Basanta Kumar Dey''' ({{lang-bn|'''বসন্ত কুমার দে (দেব সরকার)'''}}) (9 March, 1897 - 31 August, 1975) ({{lang-bn|২৭ ফাল্গুন, ১৩০৩ - ১৪ ভাদ্র, ১৩৮২}}) was a senior officer of the [[Bengal Nagpur Railway|BNR]].<ref name="districtgazetteers">[https://www.jstor.org/stable/44156392?loggedin=true&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Irfan Habib, "Professor Barun De (1932-2013)" in ''Proceedings of the Indian History Congress'', Volume 73, 2012, pp. 1553-1555]</ref><ref name="frontline1"/> | ||
==Early Life and education== | ==Early Life and education== | ||
Dey, who was a member of a Bengali (বাঙালী) Hindu (হিন্দু) Uttar Rarhi Kayastha (উত্তর রার্হি কায়স্থ)-Brahmo (ব্রাহ্ম) family of Calcutta, was the third son of [[Brajendranath De|Brajendranath Dey]] and Nagendranandini De (née Bose).<ref name="awomanofindia">Gurusaday Dutt, 'A Woman of India: Being the Life of Saroj Nalini (Founder of Women's Institute Movement in India' (with a foreword by Rabindranath Tagore), (Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1941)</ref><ref name="সরোজনলিনী">রাজীব কুন্ডু, 'সরোজনলিনী: সংখিপ্ত জীবনি', (অবভাস, কলকাতা, ২০১৪) (Rajib Kundu, 'Saroj Nalini: Shankhipta Jibani', Ababhash, Kolkata, 2014),</ref> He completed his school education at [[Hare School|Hare School, Calcutta]] and college education at Presidency College, Calcutta, where he completed his B.A. (Hons.) in English. He matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1919, where he read English. His moral tutor was James Drummond Anderson. Later, he was admitted to The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 1920.<ref name="southasiansattheinnsofcourt"> Online list entitled 'South Asians at the Inns of Court -Middle Temple, 1863-1944', compiled by Renu Paul, in consultation with Mitra Sharafi. (Source: H.A.C. Sturgess, ed., Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple: From the Fifteenth Century to the Year 1944' (London: published for the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple by Butterworth & Co., 1949) volumes II (1782-1909) and III (1910-1944), p.82 at https://docplayer.net></ref> His son was [[Barun De|Barun Dey]].<ref name="frontline1">[https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/obituary/historian-and-administrator/article4995294.ece Aniruddha Ray, "Historian and Administrator", 'Frontline', 2013] Retrieved 2015-03-03</ref><ref name="districtgazetteers"/> | |||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
Dey was recruited through an interview into the Commercial Department of the BNR in London in 1921 and reported to the agent of the railway company in Bombay upon his return to India the same year.<ref name="bdeletterfromloudenstreet"> Letter from Brajendranath De on 9th September, 1921 from 22, Louden Street, Calcutta to his son-in-law, Gurusaday Dutt, then living in London. Letter, from G.S. Dutt archive, is with his (Dutt's) grandson, Devsaday Dutt.</ref><ref name="oralhistory"/> His first posting was as assistant traffic superintendent in Kharagpur.<ref name="reminiscencesofanindianmemberoftheindiancivilservice"> Brajendranath De, 'Reminiscences of an Indian Member of the Indian Civil Service', Calcutta, 1925-1929, pp.416-417. Memoir manuscript in the custody of Barun Dey's library.</ref> In that capacity, he later played an important role in the building of the BNR Hotel in Puri. | |||
In 1931, he was tasked with the responsibility of carrying out the survey work for laying of the tracks from Raipur to Vishakhapatnam and Sonepur to Balangir. Through the 1930s he served as district commercial officer in Kharagpore (Bengal), Waltair (Hyderabad),<ref name="20,theatreroadletter">Letter from Brajendranath Dey of 20, Theatre Road, Calcutta to Paresh Chandra Datta and Sarasi Nalini Datta, then living in England, dated 26th March, 1931. Letter in the custody of Barun De's library.</ref> Nainpur (CP & Berar) and Adra (Behar).<ref name="oralhistory">[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://wikis.uit.tufts.edu/confluence/display/atbohp/Barun%2BDe%3Fdesktop%3Dtrue%26macroName%3Dattachments&ved=2ahUKEwiykozQoIH1AhUVxDgGHaIvCykQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw083H797WHC9n5MOfE8i6xG Text of Barun De's interview given to Kris Manjapra for Tufts University Oral History Archive, 2009]</ref> While he was in Adra for a second time between 1939 and 1942, he was given the responsibility of managing the transportation of Congress workers and leaders attending the Ramgarh Session of the Indian National Congress of 1941. In this connection, he had to visit M.K. Gandhi there.<ref name="oralhistory"/> | |||
In the 1940s, he served as regional controller of railway priorities under the Railway Board and then as traffic superintendent general. During the Second World War years, he was commissioned as a major in the Commercial Department of the BNR under the Defence of India Rules and Act.<ref name="memorandum">Memorandum dated 7th July 1947 and signed by the commercial traffic manager of the BNR granting honorary ranks noted each under the War Department Notification to Ex: Defence of India Commissioned Officers of the same railway company. Memorandum in the custody of Barun Dey's library.</ref> In 1950, he was appointed as commercial traffic manager.<ref name="ctm">Initially, at the time of its establishment the BNR had an Agent and Traffic Manager running its affairs. Over time the post of Agent was replaced with General Manager who was to be assisted by the Traffic Manager. By the 1940s the post of Traffic Manager was changed to Commercial Traffic Manager due to its additional commercial responsibilities. This designation remained in force until 31 December 1952. From 1 January 1953, when the BNR joined the Eastern Railways, the post of Commercial Traffic Manager was divided into the twin posts of Chief Commercial Manager and Chief Operations Manager. Dey's successor to this post, J.N. Das, joined as the Chief Commercial Manager of the Eastern Railways. From 1 January 1955 the BNR wing of the Eastern Railways came out to form the South Eastern Railways. Now the post of Chief Commercial Manager has been redesignated as Principle Chief Commercial Manager of the South Eastern Railways.</ref> In the last two years of his career, he attended meetings chaired by the then chief minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Ray. | |||
Dey retired from active service at the end of 1952. | |||
==Post-retirement== | ==Post-retirement== | ||
After retirement, he was offered membership of the Railway Recruitment Board in Gorakhpur, which he declined. He took the initiative to publish large segments of his father, Brajendranath | After retirement, he was offered membership of the Railway Recruitment Board in Gorakhpur, which he declined. He took the initiative to publish large segments of his father, Brajendranath Dey's, memoir in the ''[[Calcutta Review]]'', on the occasion of the latter's birth centenary in 1952. As an original Trustee of the Estate of the late Gurusaday Dutt, he recommended as well as contributed to the formation of the [[Gurusaday Museum]],<ref name="gurusadaymuseum">[https://www.museumsofindia.org Gurusaday Museum]</ref> which is now under the Bratachari Society. | ||
In 1968, he was elected a member<ref name="hareschoolcalcutta">Notice dated 12th March 1968, signed by M. Pradhan, Hony. General Secretary of the Organising Committee of Hare School, Calcutta. Notice | |||
in the custody of Barun Dey's library.</ref> of the Organising Committee of the 150th Foundation Anniversary Celebration of his alma mater, Hare School, Calcutta and chairman<ref name="homeschoolcalcuttabrochuresubcommittee">Minutes of the Meeting of the Brochure Sub-Committee held at Hare School at 4-30 P.M. on Friday, the 22nd March, 1968. Agenda papers in the custody of Barun Dey's library.</ref> of the Brochure Sub-Committee of the Organising Committee responsible for the publication of all materials related to the foundation day celebration. | |||
==Legacy== | |||
Approximately 2, 000 photographs of Dey's family, held by him, have been given, on loan, to the photographic archive of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta in 2001 by the think tank's first director and Dey's son, [[Barun De|Barun Dey]].<ref name="epw1">[http://thankstoepw.blogspot.in/2013/09/barun-de-situating-eminent-historian.html "Situating an Eminent Historian Eminently" - Sabyasachi Bhattacharya] Retrieved 2015-03-21.</ref> After the archive was shifted to the newly established Jadunath Bhavan Museum and Resource Centre | |||
of the CSSSC in 2009, the photographs were deposited there.<ref name="jsrchr"> Brochure entitled Jadunath Bhavan Museum and Resource Centre, (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, 2009), p. 7</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 55: | Line 64: | ||
[[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]] | [[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]] | ||
[[Category:People from the Hooghly district]] | [[Category:People from the Hooghly district]] | ||
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]] | |||
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]] | [[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]] | ||
Latest revision as of 19:57, 28 February 2025
Basanta Kumar Dey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 March 1897 |
| Died | 31 August 1975 (aged 78) (Bengali: ৭৯) |
| Occupation | Civil Servant |
| Years active | 1921-1952 |
| Spouse(s) | Pramila Dey (Bengali: প্রমিলা দে) (née Gupta) (Bengali: গুপ্ত) |
| Children | 1 |
Basanta Kumar Dey (Bengali: বসন্ত কুমার দে (দেব সরকার)) (9 March, 1897 - 31 August, 1975) (Bengali: ২৭ ফাল্গুন, ১৩০৩ - ১৪ ভাদ্র, ১৩৮২) was a senior officer of the BNR.[1][2]
Early Life and education[edit]
Dey, who was a member of a Bengali (বাঙালী) Hindu (হিন্দু) Uttar Rarhi Kayastha (উত্তর রার্হি কায়স্থ)-Brahmo (ব্রাহ্ম) family of Calcutta, was the third son of Brajendranath Dey and Nagendranandini De (née Bose).[3][4] He completed his school education at Hare School, Calcutta and college education at Presidency College, Calcutta, where he completed his B.A. (Hons.) in English. He matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1919, where he read English. His moral tutor was James Drummond Anderson. Later, he was admitted to The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 1920.[5] His son was Barun Dey.[2][1]
Career[edit]
Dey was recruited through an interview into the Commercial Department of the BNR in London in 1921 and reported to the agent of the railway company in Bombay upon his return to India the same year.[6][7] His first posting was as assistant traffic superintendent in Kharagpur.[8] In that capacity, he later played an important role in the building of the BNR Hotel in Puri.
In 1931, he was tasked with the responsibility of carrying out the survey work for laying of the tracks from Raipur to Vishakhapatnam and Sonepur to Balangir. Through the 1930s he served as district commercial officer in Kharagpore (Bengal), Waltair (Hyderabad),[9] Nainpur (CP & Berar) and Adra (Behar).[7] While he was in Adra for a second time between 1939 and 1942, he was given the responsibility of managing the transportation of Congress workers and leaders attending the Ramgarh Session of the Indian National Congress of 1941. In this connection, he had to visit M.K. Gandhi there.[7]
In the 1940s, he served as regional controller of railway priorities under the Railway Board and then as traffic superintendent general. During the Second World War years, he was commissioned as a major in the Commercial Department of the BNR under the Defence of India Rules and Act.[10] In 1950, he was appointed as commercial traffic manager.[11] In the last two years of his career, he attended meetings chaired by the then chief minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Ray.
Dey retired from active service at the end of 1952.
Post-retirement[edit]
After retirement, he was offered membership of the Railway Recruitment Board in Gorakhpur, which he declined. He took the initiative to publish large segments of his father, Brajendranath Dey's, memoir in the Calcutta Review, on the occasion of the latter's birth centenary in 1952. As an original Trustee of the Estate of the late Gurusaday Dutt, he recommended as well as contributed to the formation of the Gurusaday Museum,[12] which is now under the Bratachari Society.
In 1968, he was elected a member[13] of the Organising Committee of the 150th Foundation Anniversary Celebration of his alma mater, Hare School, Calcutta and chairman[14] of the Brochure Sub-Committee of the Organising Committee responsible for the publication of all materials related to the foundation day celebration.
Legacy[edit]
Approximately 2, 000 photographs of Dey's family, held by him, have been given, on loan, to the photographic archive of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta in 2001 by the think tank's first director and Dey's son, Barun Dey.[15] After the archive was shifted to the newly established Jadunath Bhavan Museum and Resource Centre of the CSSSC in 2009, the photographs were deposited there.[16]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Irfan Habib, "Professor Barun De (1932-2013)" in Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Volume 73, 2012, pp. 1553-1555
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aniruddha Ray, "Historian and Administrator", 'Frontline', 2013 Retrieved 2015-03-03
- ↑ Gurusaday Dutt, 'A Woman of India: Being the Life of Saroj Nalini (Founder of Women's Institute Movement in India' (with a foreword by Rabindranath Tagore), (Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1941)
- ↑ রাজীব কুন্ডু, 'সরোজনলিনী: সংখিপ্ত জীবনি', (অবভাস, কলকাতা, ২০১৪) (Rajib Kundu, 'Saroj Nalini: Shankhipta Jibani', Ababhash, Kolkata, 2014),
- ↑ Online list entitled 'South Asians at the Inns of Court -Middle Temple, 1863-1944', compiled by Renu Paul, in consultation with Mitra Sharafi. (Source: H.A.C. Sturgess, ed., Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple: From the Fifteenth Century to the Year 1944' (London: published for the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple by Butterworth & Co., 1949) volumes II (1782-1909) and III (1910-1944), p.82 at https://docplayer.net>
- ↑ Letter from Brajendranath De on 9th September, 1921 from 22, Louden Street, Calcutta to his son-in-law, Gurusaday Dutt, then living in London. Letter, from G.S. Dutt archive, is with his (Dutt's) grandson, Devsaday Dutt.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Text of Barun De's interview given to Kris Manjapra for Tufts University Oral History Archive, 2009
- ↑ Brajendranath De, 'Reminiscences of an Indian Member of the Indian Civil Service', Calcutta, 1925-1929, pp.416-417. Memoir manuscript in the custody of Barun Dey's library.
- ↑ Letter from Brajendranath Dey of 20, Theatre Road, Calcutta to Paresh Chandra Datta and Sarasi Nalini Datta, then living in England, dated 26th March, 1931. Letter in the custody of Barun De's library.
- ↑ Memorandum dated 7th July 1947 and signed by the commercial traffic manager of the BNR granting honorary ranks noted each under the War Department Notification to Ex: Defence of India Commissioned Officers of the same railway company. Memorandum in the custody of Barun Dey's library.
- ↑ Initially, at the time of its establishment the BNR had an Agent and Traffic Manager running its affairs. Over time the post of Agent was replaced with General Manager who was to be assisted by the Traffic Manager. By the 1940s the post of Traffic Manager was changed to Commercial Traffic Manager due to its additional commercial responsibilities. This designation remained in force until 31 December 1952. From 1 January 1953, when the BNR joined the Eastern Railways, the post of Commercial Traffic Manager was divided into the twin posts of Chief Commercial Manager and Chief Operations Manager. Dey's successor to this post, J.N. Das, joined as the Chief Commercial Manager of the Eastern Railways. From 1 January 1955 the BNR wing of the Eastern Railways came out to form the South Eastern Railways. Now the post of Chief Commercial Manager has been redesignated as Principle Chief Commercial Manager of the South Eastern Railways.
- ↑ Gurusaday Museum
- ↑ Notice dated 12th March 1968, signed by M. Pradhan, Hony. General Secretary of the Organising Committee of Hare School, Calcutta. Notice in the custody of Barun Dey's library.
- ↑ Minutes of the Meeting of the Brochure Sub-Committee held at Hare School at 4-30 P.M. on Friday, the 22nd March, 1968. Agenda papers in the custody of Barun Dey's library.
- ↑ "Situating an Eminent Historian Eminently" - Sabyasachi Bhattacharya Retrieved 2015-03-21.
- ↑ Brochure entitled Jadunath Bhavan Museum and Resource Centre, (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, 2009), p. 7