At a time when thousands of students across the country are facing a crisis due to the NEET paper leak and cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, a dedicated group gathered on Friday evening in Kolkata to honour the centenary of a man who devoted his life to education and the noble pursuit of teaching. Professor Dilip Chakravarty, who was also an MP, was born on April 23, 1923, in Shologhar village, Dhaka, current day Bangladesh.
Professor Chakravarty overcame early adversities, including the loss of his parents, to achieve academic excellence. He earned a gold medal in Economics Honours from Guwahati Cotton College and excelled in both his MA and Law examinations.
Eminent journalist and author from Dhaka, Shahriar Kabir, remarked, “Before the Indian government had even determined their role in the Bangladesh independence struggle, Dilip Chakravarty was already supporting the Mukti Bahini with arms. This is a little-known fact. He founded the Calcutta University Bangladesh Sahayak Samiti and played a crucial role in helping thousands of writers, artists, and teachers find refuge on Indian soil. His contribution to Bangladesh’s liberation was immense.”
Speaking at the event social activist, Arun Srivastava said, “Samajwadi leaders are scared now. Dilip Chakravarty is a true Samajwadi leader.”
Former West Bengal minister, Kiranmoy Nanda recalled, “Dilip Da was a real gentleman. An able leader, who always led from the front. He never shied away from adversities. In 1977, when we couldn’t get a candidate from Calcutta South Lok Sabha constituency, he came forward to contest and defeated the Congress heavyweight, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi.”
