Skip to main content

Bishnupriya Manipuri remembers Shahid Rajbabu Singha

By Rebati Mohan Sinha

The 77th martyr day of Shahid Rajbabu Singha was recently observed with the unveiling of Shahid’s statue at the village Masughat, Cachar, Assam on March 14 in a two-day long function.



More Photos slideshow

The program was intended for the upcoming youths to draw inspiration from his life. On March 13, an open house was arranged for the discussion on some of the burning issues confronting the Bishnupriya Manipuri society. Where people from the audience could ask questions pertaining to issues related to the society and distinguished people seated on the dais answering them. People present there had appreciated the new form of discussion.

On March 14th the statue of Shahid Rajbabu Singha was unveiled by Ex.President of Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Mahasabha, Surendra Kumar Sinha in the presence of Manoranjan Sinha, Ex. President of NBMM, Rebati Mohan Sinha, Working President of NBMM, Chandrakanta Sinha, Retd IRS, Working President of NBMM, Uday Sinha, Secretary General of NBMM and other dignitaries. In the afternoon, people had deliberations on the life of Shahid Rajbabu; and in the evening there was a cultural program followed by a short drama on Shahid`s life.

A Brief History of Shahid Rajbabu Singha

Shahid Rajbabu Singha was born in the year 1905 in a very poor family who migrated to Masughat in 1914-15. His schooling started in Masughat primary school in the year 1916. He later passed his Matriculation (in first division) from Calcutta University in 1930; but could not continue further study in college because of poverty.

He started his social work by establishing ‘Balak Samiti’ in the Masughat village. The Samiti’s main slogan was to character building of village students and road building.

Later on he became the ardent admirer of the newspaper ‘Jagoran’ published in Murarichand college in Sylhet (now in Bangladesh) by group of students like Mahendra Kumar Sinha, Phalguni Sinha, Krishna Kumar Debbarma etc. Later on he became the manager of ‘Manipuri’ newspaper published by Samarjit Sinha (who later became a District Judge).

In early 1931, he came in contact with the social worker Phalguni Sinha and started working for the development of Manipuri language and culture; while at the same time he was engaged in a job in SDO`s office, Silchar.

It was a census year; our caste (Meitei/Bishnupriya) was shown as tribal. To fight against the decision, a delegation was to meet the Government authority. Shahid Rajbabu was a party to that; but the Meitei brethren at the eleventh hour back-tracked, for the reason best known to them. Some people believed that he (Rajbabu) had some documents related to Bishnupriya Manipuri from Manipur for further dispatch and he did so; but he could not save himself from the eagle-eyed group of people. He was brutally killed in the late night of 14th March 1933 while he was returning from the office.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

We all love comments. It is moderated

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Thakur, the great saint of the Bishnupriya Manipuri Community was born on 26th October, 1871, in a remote village of Cachar district called Baropua in the state of Assam. He was born to a Xatriya Manipuri family. His father Sri Sanatan Pandit was a Sanskrit teacher and mother Srimati Malati Devi, a house wife. Sadhu Baba from his childhood was indifferent to all worldly happenings. He was engrossed in chanting the name of Lord Krishna. Along with other students of his age, Sadhu Baba started taking lessons of grammar and other spiritual literature from his father. At a very young age he lost his mother but he was brought up with utmost love and care by his step mother. At the age of eighteen, Sadhu baba lost his father, so, to continue his spiritual education under the guidance of Rajpandit Mineshwas Swarbabhwam Bhattacherjee, he went to Tripura. But within one year he made up his mind to visit all the holy places and as such he took permis...
9 comments
Read more

The 'Star' Krishankant Sinha of Space City Sigma

By RK Rishikesh Sinha, New Delhi It is a myth that the all-knowing Internet knows everything. One such myth relates to old television stuff aired on Doordarshan before 1990. Search in Google “Space City Sigma”, the search engine would throw up reminiscent results from the people who still long for those days. Those days were really golden days. Krishankant Sinha in the role of Captain Tara in Space City Singma For those who have watched Doordarshan some 15 to 20 years back, am sure they will have nostalgic memories of it. The days when possessing a now ubiquitous looking television set was a luxury. It was a neighbour’s envy product. It was a visual product to showoff, to flaunt that we have a television set . Those were the days when black and white, locked television was rarely found in homes. The days became immortal for teleserials like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Swami’s Malgudi Days (Ta-Na-Na-Na…), Ek-Do-Teen-Char (Title song: Ek do teen char, chaaro mil ke saath chale to ...
26 comments
Read more

Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council: Few Pertinent Questions (Part I)

By Rebati Mohan Sinha On last 25th March 2010 there was an announcement in the floor of the House that the Government of Assam has agreed on principle to form three separate Social Economic Development Councils for Bishnupriya Manipuri, Nath Yugi and Maimal. And now the Cabinet Committee has given its nod. It will be placed in the House (not yet placed) and once it is passed, then a Ministerial Committee would consult the stake holders i.e. these three communities, regarding their aspirations and would send its recommendation accordingly to the Central Government for further action within the next two months. The two months time since been elapsed, even then the bill is yet to show its face in the House. The Ministerial consultation is quite far away. Why am I repeating the same thing now is because of a section of Bishnupriya Manipuri started quarreling for the share of so-called power, from now on, without knowing the outcome of the development which is taking place in the...
34 comments
Read more