Bengali HS School: A Legacy Born Out Of Resistance

Guwahati: Despite socioeconomic challenges, a group of visionaries, led by British-era Assam director of public instruction (DPI) GA Small, tea planter Raibahadur Mahendra Mohan Lahiri, freedom fighter Tarun Ram Phukan, and future Assam CM Gopinath Bordoloi, helped build an educational foundation for Bengali students in Guwahati.In 1930, as the freedom movement swept India, the then DPI JR Cunningham issued a circular barring students from participating in anti-British activities. They were required to sign declarations or risk expulsion. Many parents refused, sparking protests.This led to the birth of Assam's first Swadeshi school, Kamrup Academy, in 1930. Soon, student numbers surged at Kamrup and Cotton Collegiate schools. While Assamese and Bengali sections operated separately, the growing population prompted calls for a dedicated Bengali school. This effort led to the founding of Silver Jubilee Anglo-Bengali High School — now Bengali HS School — in 1936, at Paltan Bazar.Guwahati's population was around 45,000 in 1935. Alumni Tapas Kumar Sen and Sanjoy Gupta, who remain closely associated with the school, recall that DPI GA Small convened a meeting on Apr 4, 1935, at Gauhati Circuit House. It was attended by education officials and prominent citizens, including Phukan, Kali Charan Sen, Rohini Kumar Choudhury, Bardoloi, Lahiri, Kamakhya Ram Baruah, and Gauri Kanta Talukdar.Small said the govt could no longer run Assamese and Bengali sections separately at Cotton Collegiate. If the Bengali community opened its own school, the govt would offer support. The proposal was accepted, and land near Paltan camp was allotted. The community raised Rs 15,000 to build the school.According to Principal Nazrana Rahman Hazarika, "Small laid the foundation stone on Dec 15, 1935, with a silver trowel, in front of a large gathering." "The construction was completed in four months by Khan Sahib Ida Khan, known for quality work. The school was inaugurated on Apr 28, 1936, by chief commissioner Michael Keane," she added.Hazarika, who joined as a teacher in 1993 and became principal in 2020, is a descendant of Bagh Hazarika (Ismail Siddiqui), a commander under Ahom general Lachit Borphukan.Retired banker Uttam Kar, a student from 1966 to 1974, noted the school was named to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Emperor George V's coronation. After Independence, it became Bengali Boys High School and was upgraded to a higher secondary school in 1965.The first managing committee had Raibahadur Kalicharan Sen as president and Lahiri as secretary. Scholar Nalini Bhushan Dasgupta was appointed the first headmaster. In its first year, 404 students enrolled — 363 Bengalis, with the rest from diverse communities — underscoring the school's wide appeal. There were 24 Marwaris, seven Manipuris, three Nepalis, four Punjabis, two Hindustanis, and one Madrassi at the schools at that time.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes, messages and quotes !