- Written By : Ipshita Deb, Fifth Semester, Media Technologies, 2023
In the heart of Shillong, where the Khasi and Jaintia hills cradle history, the Shillong Brahmo Samaj stands tall, a testament to ink and echoes often drowned by the city's bustle.
Initially, the prayers were conducted at the houses of different Brahmos by rotation till the first Brahmo Samaj prayer hall (Mandir) was established in November 1874. This prayer hall was established on a plot of land in Police Bazar which was allotted by the State Government, this cultural haven, with its roots in a crisp November day, served as a guiding light through the late 1800s and 1900s, echoing stories of enlightenment in Sohra, Shella, Laitkynsiew, and Sohbar.
Raj Chandra Choudhury and his wife Hemant Kumari Choudurani were among the early members and were instrumental in setting up the Mahila Samity and a library on Jail Road. This was later shifted to the premises of the Khasi Hills Brahmo Samaj in Laban. Other early Brahmos involved in the formation of the Samaj in the 1870s were Rai Bahadur Prakash Chandra Deb, Brajendra Nath Sen, Aukhay Kumar Chatterjee, Sadaya Charan Das and Rai Bahadur Sivanath Dutta. It was strongly felt that a separate wing be set up to educate and preach to the Khasi people in and around Shillong, and so a Khasi mission was established to bring the Khasis into the fold of the Brahmo Samaj, Nilmani Chakraborty was appointed by the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta and he literally pitched his tent in Cherrapunjee. There he remained for years, educating, preaching and dispensing homeopathic treatment to people with remarkable success, Nilmani Chakraborty later took assistance from the Shillong Brahmo Samaj as well as two Khasi Brahmos, Radon Sing Berry and Job Solomon to construct the Mawkhar Brahmo Samal Babu Jeebon Roy took an active interest too in the building of this Samaj and provided much-needed assistance.
What began as a prayer hall in Khyndailad now unfolds as the Rabindra Smriti Granthagar, a treasure trove of historical books written in Khasi, Bengali, and English—pages soaked in ink that whispers tales of a bygone era. Surojit Dutta and Biswajit Dutta, the last guardians of this legacy, strive to revive the fading echoes of the library, standing at the crossroads of preservation and obscurity.
Over the years, the Rabindro Smriti Granthagar, established in July 1942 during the blackout days of World War II, holds its own chapter in this cultural saga. Initiated with 82 books inherited from the literary circle known as 'Budh Chakra,' the library found a home within the Brahmo Samaj premises.
Crucially, the depository of the books in the library were donated by then-erudite residents of Shillong and others were bought to facilitate researchers, who borrowed books from this library
The ink that now stains the pages carries not just historical narratives but the weight of responsibility taken on willingly to preserve a cultural gem that found itself without a custodian.
The ink of history,bound within the pages, calls for a renewed chapter, urging the community to rally around this cultural cornerstone and preserve its echoes for generations to come.
Yet, the library's future hangs in the balance, its once vibrant shelves now silent, the echoes fading with each passing day.
The contribution of Shillong Brahmo Samaj to the social, cultural and educational life of Shillong was immense. The Samaj was pioneer in the initiation of women's education with many of the earlier schools of Shillong being set up under its guidance. The Laban Bengali Girls High School, Lady Kene Girls School, Jail Road Girls School are some of the results of the efforts of members of Shillong Brahmo Samaj at that time. Members of Shillong Brahmo Samaj were also responsible for establishment of libraries, Mahila Samities, Kindergartens, Schools, Orphanage, Crèche etc. The Brahmo Samaj movement also had a profound influence in rural Khasi Hills particularly in Cherrapunjee and Shella.
The challenge lies in inspiring the youth, the torchbearers of tomorrow, to embrace and safeguard this cultural heritage, and to let fresh ink flow on the pages of the Samaj's narrative. The library, with its century-old books, faces the risk of losing copyright claims, potentially falling prey to commercial exploitation and fading echoes.
In a conversation with Surojit Dutta, the tale unfolds from a humble upbringing steeped in values of simplicity and honesty, the ink of the past bleeding into the present.
Biswajit Dutta, as the secretary, carries forward the legacy, yearning for the younger generation to reconnect with the Samaj, to grasp the pen and write new chapters in its ink-stained pages. Their weddings, simple yet culturally significant, symbolize a departure from tradition, leaving imprints in the echoing corridors of the Samaj.
The librarian, Animaa Modak, breathes life into the dusty shelves, dedicating six years to preserving literary treasures, her hands covered in the ink that binds generations together. Her determination, despite challenges like dust allergies and
language barriers echoes the resilience of
the Samaj itself inked with stories that refuse to be forgotten.
The library consists of more than thirty thousand books written by renowned scholars like Rabindranath Tagore, Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay,
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay,
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay,
Vikram Seth, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Amrita Lal Basu, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, and many other authors across various genres.
The title "Ink and Echoes" takes on a deeper meaning as the Samaj's survival intertwines with the ink on aged pages and the echoes of its cultural ideals. It beckons the youth to not merely witness history but to become its guardians, to pick up the pen and write their stories alongside the ink and echoes of the Shillong Brahmo Samaj.
For in the fading whispers of the Samaj, a significant piece of history and knowledge teeters on the brink of being lost forever.
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