Editor,
Circuit House of Meghalaya, situated at Kenches Trace, Laban, Shillong, is a historical place where many prominent personalities, including Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, visited. It carries a great legacy of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, which needs a proper way to preserve.
The heritage building, ‘Bidhan Bhavan’ or ‘Roy Villah’, is now popularly known as the circuit house, was belonged to eminent Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. Unfortunately, like many other heritage buildings of Shillong, Meghalaya, this heritage building has not been preserved as a heritage site where history whispers! New generations don’t know how important building the Circuit House is. Nowadays, several prominent personalities/ high officials visit occasionally and stay in this house. Several cars are seen lined up in front of the heritage building. The legacy of the house, ‘ Bidhan Bhavan’, which was once inhabited by Dr. B.C Roy and his family members, is gradually being lost. Simultaneously, the untold history of the house has been lost in the hype of dry winter leaves!
It is very important to know about the renowned Doctor, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy or Dr.B.C Roy, who was among the first Indians to hold both an MBBS and MRCP and FRCS degrees. How Dr. B.C Roy was connected to Shillong during the 1920s, when Shillong was the Capital of Assam Province during British Rule in India. What was the purpose of Dr. B.C Roy to construct a beautiful house on a hilltop in Laban, where there was no electricity facility, no good facility of motorable road. People had to depend on gaslight and Kerosene. The whole Shillong town was then covered with Pines, Debdaru, Eucalyptus, Cherry and different beautiful trees. ‘Bidhan Bhavan’ was standing in the midst of Pines and several other trees, including a beautiful garden of different flowers.
The house ‘Bidhan Bhavan’ was built by Dr. B.C Roy in the early part of the 1920s. Before 1923, the construction of the house was completed.
Dr. B.C Roy was born on 1st July 1882 to a Bengali family in Patna, where his father, Prakash Chandra Roy, coming from a wealthy family of Satkhira, Khulna district, Bengal Presidency (now in Bangladesh), was serving as an excise inspector. Mother was Aghorkamini Devi. Bidhan Roy’s mother was a social worker, and his parents were followers of the BRAHMO SAMAJ. Dr. B.C Roy did his I. A from Presidency College, Calcutta and B.A from Patna college with Honours in Mathematics. He pursued medicine at Calcutta Medical College before studying at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, where he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1911.
Dr. B.C Roy’s father, Prakash Chandra Roy, used to visit Shillong in the early part of the 1900s to promote the ‘ Brahmo’ religion. He was the ACHARYA of SHILLONG BRAHMO SAMAZ MANDIR at Police Bazar and KHASI HILLS BRAHMO MANDIR at Laban, Shillong. Prakash Chandra Roy lived in Dr. Mahim Chandra Chowdhury’s house at Laban in the early 1900s.
During those days, Shillong was famous as it was the capital of Assam Province and was a great sanatorium. Many famous people, ICS officers from other provinces of India, used to visit Shillong. People used to come and stay in Shillong to recover from their ill health in the pollution-free air in Shillong.
Dr. B.C Roy came to Shillong in 1920 for the first time along with his family members. Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy built Roy Villah or Bidhan Bhavan at Kenches Trace Laban Shillong in the early part of the 1920s. He was a very famous Doctor during that period. Dr. B. C Roy used to visit and stay in Shillong during the summer. He used to treat patients at Shillong during his stay. Sometimes he even did free treatment for the needy patient.
During the 1920s, Dr. B.C Roy built ‘Bidhan Bhavan’ at Kenches Trace, Laban, Shillong, which is now popular as the Circuit House of Meghalaya. Dr. B.C Roy also built another house named ‘Bidhan House’ (Now the name is not shown over there in the name plate ), where he set up ‘Shillong Hydroelectric Company’. Dr. B.C Roy used to sit in his office at SHILLONG HYDROELECTRIC COMPANY. Dr. B.C Roy was the main architect of introducing electricity in Shillong. He was very closely associated with the people of Shillong. He wanted to bring electricity to Shillong to illuminate Shillong and to help the general masses. ‘Sonapani Hydel Project’ was set up as ‘Shillong Hydroelectric Company’ by Dr.B.C Roy, which was known as the Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MSEB) and presently known as MeECL. During 1921- 22, the above project was initiated by Dr B.C Roy, and during 1923, Maharani of Mayurbhanj Sucharu Devi inaugurated the ‘Shillong Hydroelectric Company’. The Bidhan house is located just opposite to Meghalaya Secretariat. This historic house holds a special significance in the history of Meghalaya Electricity Board.
The Circuit House/Roy Villah at Kenches Trace Laban Shillong is very important as this house carries the memories of Dr. B.C Roy. In this house, Dr B.C Roy had spent many valuable years of his life. He used to treat patients in this house. Used to meet people. Many prominent personalities of those days visited this house to meet Dr. B.C Roy, and many high-profile personalities of those days were invited by Dr. B.C Roy during different occasions. People of Shillong of those days were very much familiar with Dr. B.C Roy’s kind hospitality at this house.
During May 1923, Nobel laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore came to Shillong to stay at the ‘Jitbhoomi’ bungalow on rent. The owner of the bungalow then was Ray Bahadur Jatindranath Chakraborty, ICS. At Jitbhoomi, Tagore penned the first draft of Rakta Karabi/ Red Oleanders. Dr. B.C Roy was at Shillong during the summer of 1923, too. Dr. B.C Roy used to meet Rabindranath occasionally. Tagore also used to visit Bidhan Bhavan at Kenches Trace Laban to meet Dr. B.C Roy. On 24th May 1923, Tagore attended a dinner party at Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy’s house at Kenches Laban. Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University, Dr Gyan Chakraborty, Professor Prafulla Ghosh were present on that occasion, including other famous personalities. Satish Chandra Roy from the Indian Education Service, Dhaka and Dr. B.C Roy arranged the birthday celebration programme( most probably it was the 62nd Birthday celebration of Rabindranath Tagore, which was celebrated with honour at Bidhan Bhavan).
During June 1929, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose came to Shillong to take rest in the hill station of Shillong(In 1927, Subhash Chandra Bose visited and stayed at Kelsall lodge at Oakland Shillong during his first and second visit). During his 3rd visit, Subhash Chandra stayed at Bidhan Bhavan at Kenches Laban. Subhash Chandra Bose wrote a letter to Basanti Devi, wife of Desh Bondhu C.R. Das, from this house.
The building ‘Bidhan Bhavan’ at Kenches Trace Laban was renovated in the recent past by the State government of Meghalaya. Before that, all materials used by Dr. B.C Roy were kept intact. After renovation, many materials have not been preserved properly. The inner portion of the Heritage House has been renovated in a sophisticated way. The house stands in its original form. But due to some concrete constructions, it has lost its previous glory and greenery. Recently, during an official meeting, this author appealed to Hon’ble Governor of Meghalaya, Shri C.H. Vijayashankhar to visit the heritage sites of Shillong. Shillong was blessed with the visits of Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr. B. C Roy, Dr C.V. Raman, Quin Sucharu Devi and many others. History whispers in every corner of Shillong. Positive actions from the Department of Urban Affairs are needed to save the heritage places of Shillong under the Meghalaya Heritage Act.
Yours etc.,
Malabika Bisharad
