Editor,
The famous doctor, great visionary, freedom fighter and second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bharat Ratna Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy loved to come and stay at Shillong. He had visited Shillong several times. He visited Shillong in October 1920 for the first time and fell in love with the pleasant nature of Shillong and its beautiful scenery. He was a follower of Brahma religion. During the period, Brahma religion was highly popular in Shillong. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy’s father Prakash Chandra Roy used to visit Shillong Brahma Samaj mandir at Police Bazar and Laban. He also had stayed at Laban on rent. Prakash Chandra Roy died in 1911. Thus Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy’s family members were familiar with Shillong and it’s people.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Brain behind ‘illuminate Shillong’ with electricity and to link air services between Assam and Bengal provinces. He was the owner of two houses in Shillong city. Both the houses enriched with valuable histories. Those are now under the ownership of Government of Meghalaya. One is located at Kenches Trace Laban Shillong. Which is the “Circuit House” (in picture) of Meghalaya. Original name of this house was “Ray Villa”(not “Roy Villah” or Bidhan Bhavan). Another house is located just opposite to Meghalaya Secretariat which is now MeECL of the government of Meghalaya. The original name of the house was Bidhan Chandra Roy House etc. This house is a palacial building.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was very much familiar to Shillong. Respected by the people for his genius nature in the field of medical treatment and gentle behaviour. He was very ‘good looking giant’ of a man over 6 fit, always very smartly dressed with a booming voice. The great Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy could identify the desease by looking at the eyes of the patient. People of Shillong used to visit Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy at “Ray Villa” at Laban for treatment. He used to extend free medical treatment to the poor patients.
The Shillongites and new generation of Shillong must feel proud that the whole nation observes “Doctors Day” on 1st July in honour of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy who was so close to the heart of the people of Shillong! The houses still exists where he used to stay during his visit to Shillong. Though his memories need to be protected.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy had passed BSc first class with honours in mathematics, qualified as a graduate from Calcutta (now Kolkata) Medical College and then went on to pass the most difficult of exams in the world. MRCP in medicine and FRCS in surgery within a span of 2 years, a nearly impossible feat. He was conferred “the Doctorate of Science in 1944, Bharat Ratna in February 1961. He established several cities in West Bengal after independence. He was the backbone of establishing several educational institutions, medical hospitals , industries in West Bengal. He was instrumental in starting the IMA in 1928. He started the Indian Medical Council and was the founder President for 2 years from 1939. He was the Vice- Chancellor of the university of Calcutta for one term in the forties.
His love for Shillong was forever. He used to visit to take break from his busy schedule and come to Shillong even when he was the CM of West Bengal.
The great visionary Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy always thought for the development of India. He brought electricity to Shillong during early 1920s. He had to struggle to bring electricity to Shillong city as he was an ‘Indian’! He also took initiative to establish air connectivity between Assam province and Bengal Province.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy visited Shillong in October 1920 for the first time along with his family members. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy and his family members reached Shillong when it was ‘absolutely dark’. During his first visit to Shillong Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was helped and guided by three Khasi people. They helped him to locate their house in the dark night which had rented by Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy to stay. The next morning Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was charmed with the scenery of Shillong but he felt rather depressed that such a fine place did not have electricity’.
Then he took initiative along with others to form a company to generate electricity and supply it to Shillong. The struggle continued for nine months to obtain the licence from the British Government. In the end Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy and others could give the electricity to Shillong within 18 months after the grant of the licence.
The heritage ‘Sonapani Hydel Project ‘ was established in 1922 by Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy with the help of his company, “The Shillong Hydroelectric Supply Company Pvt Ltd”. This project was instrumental in powering Shillong and was officially commissioned in 1923, making a significant historical moment for the city’s development. The project was inaugurated by Maharani of Mayurbhanj Queen Sucharu Devi.
The heritage Sonapani Hydel project has crossed 100 years. We forgot to remember the stalwarts who brought electricity to Shillong for all. We forgot the person who used to come to the hills (Shillong) from the plains (Kolkata) by travelling a long and tough distance for the noble cause.
Years later another incident inspired Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy to associate himself with the Airways India of which he was the first Chairman, to open an air link between Calcutta and Gauhati ( now Guwahati)
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was away at Shillong in August 1946 when the Muslim League’s Direct Action Day communal riots burst upon Calcutta on the 16th. His house at Wellington Square was targeted. On receipt of this news, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy hastened to Calcutta. It took three days, the minimum time taken in those days to journey by train from Gauhati to Calcutta. The train was crowded and at Parbatipur, the passengers had to change over from the metre gauge to the broad gauge. ‘Bidhan found it very difficult to get accomodation as almost all the seats were commandeered by the Military proceeding to Calcutta. However, he got into a compartment and reached Barrackpore’ near Calcutta. It was this awareness of the long time taken on this journey ‘which made him think of air journey, and sometime later, Airways India was born of which he became Chairman’.
We should not forget the great visionary Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy’s contribution to North East India. We should not let the histories to be lost in the debris of dried winter leaves. Without electricity and without air connectivity today’s life is impossible to live.
It was very unfortunate that Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy had to sell “Ray Villa” to the Assam Government – His most attractive house in Shillong’. In switching on from an exceedingly lucrative medical practice to a political office, Dr. Roy had to make enormous sacrifice and adjustment in his personal life. He had a phenomenal income as a practising physician. In December 1947 the figure was Rs. 42,000. From this level, the figure came down to Rs. 14,000/ a month. Naturally Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy faced shortage of cash. He was therefore compelled to sell his land in suburban Calcutta, all his shares in companies including those of which he was founder Chairman, and finally his ‘most attractive’ palacial house in Shillong “Ray Villa” to which he was emotionally attached.
Yours etc.,
Malabika Bisharad
Shillong
