Bengali settlement in Delhi down the
timeline
The first wave of Bengali settlers came when Calcutta and
Delhi were first connected by train in 1864. With the shifting of capital to
New Delhi in 1911, the shifting to government employees migrated to Delhi.
Initially employees of central government departments like Post and Telegraph,
Government of India Press, Accountant General of Central Revenues (AGCR) and
Railways settled in Timarpur; thereafter in 1924, another phase of government
housing came up near Gole Market for employees of the Secretariat. Overtime
many employees after retirement settled in Karol Bagh and WEA, and later in
South Delhi.
Fallout of Partition of Bengal in 1947
In 1954, an association was formed for the refugees from
the then East Bengal who were displaced from their homes during the Partition
of India and the associated Partition of Bengal (1947). A large group of
government officers hailing from the erstwhile East Pakisthan migrated to Delhi
and lobbied for a residential colony.
Leading roles were
taken by Chandra Kumar Mukherjee, Subodh Gopal Basumallik, Bimal Bhusan
Chakraborty, and the then Chief Election Commissioner, Shyamaprasanna Senverma.
In the 1967, 218 acre land was assigned in a barren rocky area now known as
Chittaranjan Park.
Applicants were
required to provide some documentation of their refugee status, and were
required to be "already residing and gainfully employed in the
capital"; based on this, 2147 people were given plots of land, initially
on lease for 99 years, but subsequently converted into a freehold ownership.
The EPDP ('East Pakisthan Displaced Persons' Association) registered in 1960
had key role in handling allotment and welfare of the habitation. It continues
to be the Apex RWA in CR Park today.
The original layout had the two-thousand odd plots,
divided into eleven blocks A-K, along with a number of markets and cultural
spaces. However, in the 1990s, 714 displaced families were accommodated among
those who had not been able to meet the earlier deadline. This resulted in new
blocks, called M, N, O, K-1, K-2, Pocket 40 (referred to as Navapalli), Pocket
52 (referred to as Dakhinpalli ) and Pocket-K.
The main
thoroughfare of the colony is Bipin Chandra Pal Marg. Notable Institutions
which grew up over the years are- a branch of the Raisina Bengali School, Kali
Mandir (also called the Shiv Mandir), Bangiya Samaj, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan
Memorial, Bipin Chandra Pal Memorial Trust, Purbashree Mahila Samity,Aparajita
Mahila samity, Shri Shri Lokenath Ashram.
The colony was founded with plots going exclusively to
migrants from East Bengal; but over time, the demographics has become a little
more pan-Indian, though it continues to attract other Bengalis in general. Most
of the residents are eminent ex-government servants, scholars, professors,
teachers and other professionals. With an estimated 2000 Bengali families , it
has emerged as a "mini Kolkata" in the capital. The explosive growth
of South Delhi property prices and the aging of the original land allotters is
resulting in an ongoing demographic diversification.
Yatri Niwas (DHARMASHALA)
DR. S K Choudhury (Chairman)
Phone: 9999960611
Email:
Sh. Prodip Ganguly, (Convenor)
Phone: 9636064111
Email:
Cultural Division & Sports
Dr. Pradip Majumdar (Chairman)
Phone: 9650864514 / 9818783234
Email:
Smt. Gopa Basu (Convenor)
Phone: 9350861341
Email:
Organisation Division:
Sh. Vivek
Guha Thakurta (Chairman)
Phone: 9818992146
Email:
Wg.Cdr. Anup Kr. Chaudhury (Convenor)
Phone: 9810494819
Email:
Puja Division:
Sh. Jyotirmoy Mitra (Chairman)
Phone: 9968286146
Email:
Smt. Anita Haldar (Convenor)
Phone: 9911609990
Email:
Social Service Division:
Sh. Anjanesh
Bhattacharya (Chairman)
Phone: 9871756404
Email:
Sh. Aloke Mukherjee (Convenor)
Phone: 9818668241
Email:
Prof. P. K. Bhattacharyya
Phone: 9810246641
Email:
Sh. Subir Datta
Phone: 9871774172
Email: