Gokul Chand Mukerji

Gokul Chand Mukerji (; 1894 – 18 December 1980) was an Indian mechanic, driver, driving instructor, and a soldier in the British army. ‌His rank was of a sepoy. He was sent to Iraq during the first world war as a British-Indian soldier. He held British-Indian nationality.

Early life

Mukerji was born in Manikganj District, Dhaka, Bengal, British Raj (present Bangladesh) in 1894. Although the English army left Sulaymaniyah in 1922, he stayed there. Although the date of his resignation from being Sheikh Mahmud 's driver is not known or confirmed to this date, but later on he started working as a freelance driver on the road between Halabja and Sulaimaniyah. Mukerji's request for cancellation of his public driving license. Date is not mentioned, only the valid date of his driving license is mentioned which is 31 March 1968. The English Translation is as follows: "In the name of God the merciful the compassionate

Dear Mr. Chief of Police of Sulaimaniyah,

Subject: Returning the driving license

As a regard to my old age and not necessity for the given Driving license for public driving, Series 77SL. As for my unwilling for renewing it, I request whatever procedure it takes to return it back to you and cancel it. FYI I renewed my license for the previous years that is valid till 31 March 1969. Per the receipt number 66/627003 in 30 November 1968.

G. C Mukerji

Sulaimaniyah, Goizha.

Attachments:

1. Driving license.

2. The Mentioned receipt." Mukerji requested for cancellation of his driving license that was valid until 31 March 1969. The date of his request is not confirmed, only the mentioned validity of his license number is mentioned.

Moving to Iraq and Sulaymaniyah

Mukerji was sent to Iraq on 11 March 1918. This date was recorded in his "Record of Movement" as the "Date of embarkation for field service"; otherwise, it is also stated that the "Date of leaving station for field station" is 4 March 1918. He was sent to Basra, then Kirkuk, and then Baghdad. He was appointed as a driver of the Rasheed air force base. It was called "Indian force base" then.

In the same year, Major Ely Bannister Soane, who was the political officer of Sulaymaniyah, had two Indian drivers. Their cars were irreparably damaged on the road of Tasluja and they left them there. This angered Major Soane, so he sent them back to Baghdad and requested a good driver and mechanic who can speak English. When this request arrived at the Indian force base, the supervising officer called for Mukerji.

A few days later, Mukerji was sent to Sulaymaniyah. He fixed one of the broken cars with pieces from the other one and towed the broken one into Sulaymaniyah city. Major Soane praised his wittiness and ordered that a course of driving shall be held in Sulaymaniyah by Mukerji. In March 1920, the course was held in Muhandis-khana.

On 1 January 1921, Mukerji was discharged from service at his request and became a private citizen. He bought some new cars and put them to work between Sulaymaniyah-Kirkuk, Kirkuk-Erbil, and Kirkuk-Kifri. During this time, he befriended Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji and his cousin Hapsa Naqib. Mukerji gave his car as a gift to Sheikh Mahmud, but he paid him back for it and requested that he become his driver. Sheikh Mahmud could not pronounce "Gokul Chand Mukerji" very well, so he gave him the nickname of "Ghafur Hindi" or "Ghafura Rash" (the black Ghafur). He was, thereafter, known by this nickname. In late 1968, he retired from work.

Personal life

Mukerji with his family. from left to right: Atiya Faraj (daughter-in-law), G. C. Mukerji, Kamal Mukerji (son), Khairiyah Ayub (wife), Shukriyah Mukerji (daughter) and the toddler, Aso Mukerji (December 1967) Mukerji married three times. His first name wife was Haba Khan, they were together for a short period of time as she died soon after the wedding. His second wife's name was Amina, they had a daughter (Sabiha), and were divorced later. On 25 August 1925, he married Khairiya Aiyub Ghaiyub, a woman from Kirkuk and they stayed together until his death. They had a daughter, (Shukriya Mukerji) and a son, (Kamal Mukerji). Gokul Chand Mukerji lived in the alley of Sabunkaran in Sulaymaniyah, but moved to Ali Naji alley in 1970. He died on 18 December 1980 and Khairiya died in August 1984. Mukerji's resting place is in Saiwan cemetery in Sulaymaniyah.

Mukerji was a big fan of Rabindranath Tagore and he memorized many of his works. He was fluent in Hindi, Sanskrit, Arabic, Kurdish, English, Persian and Turkish.