Mahendranath Roy

The Honourable Babu Mahendranath Roy CIE HonFRS (1861–1925), was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, social worker, mathematician, educationist and a politician.^[1] He was involved in the Indian freedom movement and was the first Indian elected chairperson of the Howrah Municipal corporation.^[2][3] He was one of the founders of Asutosh College in Calcutta and was one of the most influential people of Howrah.^[4] For his political works, commendable legal career and contributions to society, he was awarded the Companion of the Indian Empire in 1914.^[5][6][7]

The Honourable Babu Mahendra Nath Ray CIE HonFRS
Born	29 October 1861 Howrah, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	16 August 1925 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Education	Howrah Zilla School
Alma mater	Presidency College, Calcutta
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, Educationist, Politician
Spouse	Prabodhmayee Devi
Parents	Girijaprasanna Ray (father) Fulkumari Devi (mother)
Family	Zamindar Roy Family of Tajpur

Early life

He was born on 29 October 1861, in an aristocratic Mahishya family of Tajpur,^[1] located in present-day Amta police station area of Howrah district.^[5] The Roy family of Tajpur, were the Zamindars of Amta. His father's name was Girijaprasanna Roy, and his mother was Phulkumari Devi. Mahendranath lost his father at an early age, and as a result, he was raised with great care and affection under the strict supervision of his grandfather Babu Jadunath Roy.^[8][7]

The Howrah Zilla School, now

Jadunath Babu, who was a very successful businessman and a Zamindar, built a large residence on Khurut Road which is now known as Netaji Subhas Road in Howrah and arranged for Mahendranath's education there. Mahendranath was a very bright student. He passed the Entrance Examination from Howrah Zilla School with high distinction and a scholarship, and then enrolled at Presidency College, Calcutta. He secured the first position in the F.A. (First Arts) examination, and in 1882, he passed the B.A. examination, standing first in the first division, earning the prestigious Ishan Scholarship, awarded to the student who manages to score the highest marks and who tops the university by topping in every single paper particularly in Mathematics.^[1] He also won the highly coveted Burdwan Scholarship, awarded by the estate of the Burdwan Raj.^[9] Subsequently, he earned his M.A. from the University of Calcutta in 1884, also earning a first position in the First division. He was a classmate and a very close friend of Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee. Following that he completed his B.L. from the University of Calcutta in 1885 while being a Lecturer of Mathematics at the City College, Kolkata.^[5][8]

The Presidency College in Calcutta, where Mahendranath Roy studied.

Career

The Calcutta High Court in the 1890s

Roy established a lucrative legal practice in Howrah and Calcutta. In 1885, he joined the Calcutta High Court as a Pleader and represented many clients in many big cases in the Calcutta High court and other district courts, he earned the reputation of a hugely learned and empathetic legal practitioner, he was respected by both his colleagues and adversaries.^[10] He was known for his unmatched oratory in the courtroom.^[11] He also presented multiple cases before the Privy Council. He practiced in the Calcutta High Court for nearly forty years. In 1924, he was elected the President of the Bar association of the Calcutta High Court.^[12] In 1891, he was elected a Fellow of the University of Calcutta, and from 1911 to 1920, he served as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He was also a professor of Mathematics and Law at City College, and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calcutta.^[5] In 1914, largely due to his efforts, the proposed relocation of Shibpur Engineering College from Howrah to Dhaka was successfully prevented.^[9]

Works

• Improvement of street lighting in the city

After Babu Kedarnath Bhattacharya, Mahendranath Roy was the second elected Vice Chairman of the Howrah Municipal Board, from 1888 to 1896. Following that, he became the First elected chairperson of the Howrah Municipal Corporation, winning the election with a huge majority.^[3][13] During Roy's tenure as Chairman of the Howrah Municipality, electric lighting was installed on all paved roads. Even in unpaved roads and also in slum areas, the number of kerosene lamps was reduced and electric lighting was introduced. In 1916, the last gas lamp was removed from Howrah city.

Howrah Municipal Corporation.

Under Act No.5 of 1873, the Howrah Municipality was empowered to levy an additional 3% tax to cover the expenses of gas lighting on the streets. Later, on 1 September 1932, a new agreement was signed between the Howrah Municipality and the Calcutta Electric Supply Company, which significantly reduced electricity costs. As a result, the number of electric lamp posts increased, while the number of kerosene lamps declined.^[6]

• Contributions in Academia

In 1873, he joined Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar's Indian association for the cultivation of Science and was one of its founding members. He had an aptitude for Mathematics, and he was made the head of Mathematics department there and published many journals on the subject. He published two books by the name of "Algebra Part I & II". He was made an honorary member of the Royal Mathematical society in London.^[5]

• As a Senator of the University of Calcutta

The University of Calcutta

In January 1891, Mahendranath Roy was elected as a member of the council ( Fellow) of the University of Calcutta. He was the first Fellow of the university. In 1910, he also became a member of the Syndicate of the University of Calcutta. He was instrumental in the founding of the Rajabazar Science College, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee had personally entrusted him with the management of the massive educational project.^[5]

Senate Hall of University of Calcutta, early 1910s

Styles

• 1861–1884: Mahendra Nath Ray
• 1884 – 1891: Babu Mahendra Nath Ray
• 21 January 1891 – June 1895: Babu Mahendra Nath Ray, HonFRS
• June 1895 – May 1910: The Honourable Babu Mahendra Nath Ray, HonFRS
• May 1910 – March 1914: The Honourable Babu Mahendranath Nath Ray, CIE, HonFRS
• March 1914 – 16 August 1925: The Honourable Babu Mahendra Nath Ray, CIE, HonFRS

Personal life

In 1878, Mahendranath Roy married, Prabodhmayee Devi, the eldest daughter of Babu Srinibash Panja, a famous Jotedar.^[5]

Death and legacy

On 16 August 1925 Mahendranath Ray died at the age of 64 in his house at Bhowanipore of Calcutta. His funeral was attended by most of the eminent personalities of the city and whole of Bengal at that time, such as Birendranath Sasmal, Sarat Chandra Bose and J M Sengupta. A huge procession was organised by the Indian National Congress.^[5]

In the city of Howrah, near Shibpur, there is a road called "Mahendra Nath Roy Ln" named after him which connects the Grand Trunk Road and the Netaji Subhash road. In the front of the building of Howrah Municipal Corporation his bust stands, a garland is placed every year, on the founding day of the institution.^[12] Moreover, in his native village of Tajpur, near Amta, he founded a school called "Tajpur Mahendranath Roy institution" which continues to perform well.^[5]