Ticket to the past
Trams are featured in several paintings, symbolising the spirit of Kolkata. The heritage vehicle serves as an exemplary mode of eco-friendly transportation. Its movement has presently been severely restricted to only a few routes.
The people of Hooghly, Balaghar takes pride in recollecting the memories of the great revolutionary Sarojendra Nath Mukhopadhyay. Whenever there is mention of Azad Hind Fauj of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the name of lieutenant Sarojendra Nath Mukhopadhyay is held in great esteem. The great revolutionary was born in 1895 and belonged to Guptipara in Balagarh. However he was born in Pandua at his maternal uncle’s house.
Mukhopadhyay first carried on his education at Guptipara Higher English School (Guptipara Uccha Engreji Vidyalaya), thereafter Baichi Bihari Lal Institute, he then got himself employed at Kolkata, where he took up the membership in YMCA. In World War-I he joined the Bengali Regiment. In 1932, he cycled from Kolkata to Kashmir.
During World War-II, he reached Singapore and thereafter joined Azad Hind Fauj; his recruitment letter was signed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He first held the post of sublieutenant and then upgraded to the post of lieutenant. He also served as the principal of the postal department in the areas ruled by the Azad Hind government. After the defeat of Azad Hind Fauj, lieutenant Mukhopadhyay was arrested near Mandalay on 24 April, 1945.
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He was released after Independence. In 1947 he rendered his service at Kolkata General Post Office. He breathed his last in the year 7 December, 1968. A plaque of Lieutenant Sarojendra Nath Mukhopadhyay and revolutionary Sunil Kumar Mukhopadhyay was placed by Balagarh BDO Niladri Sarkar and Dr Pratap Banerjee, principal of Balagarh College.
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