Amulya Munshi

Amulya Charan Munshi (Bengali: অমূল্য চরণ মুন্সী; 1904 – 15 January 1984) was a Bengali zamindar, philanthropist, social reformer and patron of music. He was the last zamindar of Chougachi.

Early life Munshi was a member of the extended Munshi family of Kadirpara and Chougachi, and was born to Babu Banwari Charan Munshi at Chougachi of Bengal Presidency (present day Magura District, Bangladesh). While studying in Berhampore College, he suddenly dropped out in the midst of his course and came back to Chougachi. Later, he was appointed as the Common Manager to his paternal uncle Babu Lalit Mohan Munshi for assisting him in the estate administration. Munshi gradually became an efficient administrator of the estate. In 1930, following the retirement of Lalit Mohan, Amulya Munshi assumed full-time responsibility for managing the estate as the succeeding representative of his father.

Career

Sreepur Sanskritik Parishad Munshi worked consistently for the welfare of Chougachi village. Recognizing the importance of communal harmony, he established the Sreepur Sanskritik Parishad to promote cultural exchange between Hindus and Muslims. The council included members from Hindu, Muslim and Namasudra communities. The council held annual conferences and various cultural programs, including poetry recitals and discussions on education. Regular literary meetings and discussions on social development were organized each year. Distinguished individuals were recognized and honored for their contributions. The inauguration of the council was presided over by journalist Manoj Basu of Amrita Bazar Patrika. Local families, including the Laha and Raha families, supported Munshi and contributed to the council's activities in various ways. Munshi also envisioned to establish a community rice storage system modeled on an agricultural cooperative, intended to assist the public during periods of low production or flood-related crop loss. The initiative was not ultimately successful.

Service during famine of Bengal, 1943 During the Bengal famine of 1943, Munshi's efforts in Chougachi were reported to have prevented any deaths in the village. His work was recognized by Lord Casey, then Governor of Bengal, who presented him with a clock manufactured by Cooke and Kelvey.

Patronage of music Munshi was also a music-lover by nature with a good voice of singing. At the Chougachi Babu Bari he often used to organize musical gatherings, which was attended by noted Hindustani Classical vocalist Chinmoy Lahiri and renowned singer Mintoo Dasgupta. Munshi himself was also a regular performer of the songs composed by Atul Prasad Sen.

Contribution in education

To honour his father Banwari Charan's wishes, Munshi established a school in Chougachi in 1936, named the Banwari Charan Memorial M.E. School. Prior to its establishment, there was no school in Chougachi. Munshi's primary aim was to promote education, believing that without it, both Hindu and Muslim communities could not be free from ignorance. The school's name was later changed to the Pupils’ Academy of Chougachi (also known as the Chougachi B.M. Pupils’ Academy). Babu Prithvis Chandra Munshi served as the school's headmaster. The school operated successfully until 1947; however, following the Partition of India and the departure of the zamindar family to Calcutta, it lacked adequate patronage and was completely closed in 1954. Despite the closure, the local community's commitment to education remained strong. In 1966, through the initiative of the villagers, a new educational institution was established, recognized from the outset as a secondary school, and began functioning as Chougachi Secondary School. In 2014, the school received recognition under the Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project (SEQAEP) of the Ministry of Education (Bangladesh), and in 2016, it was awarded as the best school in Sreepur Upazila, Magura during National Education Week.