Netaji & The Corporation Connection

Today, January 23, 2015 as we celebrate along with the world the 119^th birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, it is truly an honour for us to remember the great leader — simply because of his ‘Corporation Connection’. Here are a few less-known facts — some fascinating others intriguing — about Netaji and The Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

• After the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923 came into being, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das became the first elected Mayor of Kolkata and Subhas Chandra Bose the first Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
• Netaji accepted half his salary as the CEO of the Corporation and donated the rest for charity
• It was at the behest of Subhas Chandra Bose, CEO, Calcutta Municipal Corporation that Khadi clothes became the official dress code of the municipal employees
• After Jatin Das’ death in the Lahore prison following a hunger strike, Bose, then CEO sent Rupees 600 on behalf of the citizens of Calcutta to his family who was seen as a martyr for the nation
• On August 22, 1930 at the age of 33, Netaji became the youngest Mayor in the history of the Corporation
• In 1930 a certain Durgacharan Bandyopadhyay, an alderman of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation was elected as the president of Baghbazar Sarbojanin Puja Committee. He wanted to organise an exhibition (that had started in 1929) in a bigger format on the consequences of independence movement and Swadeshi concepts at Baghbazar. This place was formerly known as “Metal Yard” and used to be the storage of the Corporation — Bandyopadhyay requested Netaji the then Mayor for the plot — Netaji approved his request and agreed for a historical joint exhibition with the participation of Corporation. Baghbazar Sarbojanin continues to celebrate Durga Puja on that very plot even today
• On January 26, 1931 Subhas Chandra Bose, the then Mayor of Calcutta, was seriously assaulted in broad daylight by the Police near the Ochterlony Monument (at present Shahid Minar) for leading a procession in connection with the celebrations of the Indian Independence Day (as per the All India Congress Committee’s January 2, 1930 Resolution). Later he was arrested and taken to Lalbazar. He was compelled to stay in the lock-up without food and medical aid for the night
• In 1931, Netaji was defeated at the Mayoral Election by his younger compatriot Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy
• On June 23, 1938 Bose resigned the leadership of the Municipal Group in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation 
• On July 19, 1938 Subhas Chandra Bose applied to the Corporation for a 99 years lease for the plot of land at 166 Chittaranjan Avenue. On August 24, 1938 the Corporation leased out the same plot of land to Bose (for Mahajati Sadan)