Kripesh Ranjan Ghosh of Dawki was one of Meghalaya’s leading contractors and a hero of the war to liberate Bangladesh in 1971, says Rajib Roy
HE HELPED the Mukti Fauj during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. His Dawki house was used as an arms depot, ration store and a transit camp to provide free accommodation to the freedom fighters. He also carried heavy weapons on his shoulders to assist the Indian army deep inside Bangladesh.
Aptly, Dhaka conferred the ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ on Kripesh Ranjan Ghosh some time ago.
Born to Kali Nath Ghosh in Bangladesh’s Barishal district on 14 March 1928, Kripesh shifted to Dawki in 1950 to earn his living as a tailor. Later he undertook small construction works and went on to become class-I CPWD contractor to build Shillong Youth Hostel, part of Umroi Airport, Dawki Land Customs Office and other structures.
“A PWD engineer was touched by his devotion to Goddess Kali and gave him a break as a contractor,” said former Shillong-based businessman Pradip Choudhury.
Kripesh’s spirituality saw him become a social worker, helping people in distress and developing public facilities such as Maa Sarbamangala Kali Mandir at Dawki. The temple had stood since 1928 after engineers performed a puja for the completion of the Shillong-Sylhet road undertaken that year. Kripesh transformed it from a thatched shed to an expansive concrete complex in 1978. He was the temple’s general secretary until his death.
As the Bangladesh war approached, Kripesh formed the Mukti Sangram Sahayak Samity (MSSS) at Dawki. Pradip Choudhury and eye specialist Subrata Das were among its members. His childhood friend Md Shaukat Ali of Khadimnagar in Bangladesh was his prime collaborator in the liberation war. “Ali and his fellow warriors used to stay with us while on the run from the Pakistani army,” said Kripesh’s wife Shibani, who received the award from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka alongside 42 other Indians.
Kripesh’s residence at Dawki was used as a strategic base of the Mukti Fauz since April 1971 when the war broke out. “He always extended his helping hand without thinking about himself and family,” said Shibani. He went out of his way to help the refugees of the war.
“I remember him asking me to provide first aid training to the workers of MSSS. Due to the heavy bombardment, there were many injuries and casualties. I admitted a number of injured people to the Civil Hospital, Shillong then,” said Das, who was once caught in crossfire between Indian and Pakistani forces. Egged by Kripesh, Das created the first aid centre in Dawki.
After the war, Kripesh moved to Shillong and built his house at Lower New Colony in Laitumkhrah. He was the founder-member of a number of social and religious organizations like Central Puja Committee, Shillong Electric Crematorium, Matri Mandir, Jagannath Mandir, Shillong Bangalee Samaj, Matri Sangha, Agri Horticulture Society, Aurobindo Ashram and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. “He was a workaholic and whenever I needed him he was by my side,” said former Shillong parliamentarian BB Dutta.
Kripesh was a florist too. His house is a storehouse of some of the rarest plant species, like cleistocactus, which has grown up to a height of more than 30ft besides many rare varieties of philodendron. He was awarded many prizes and exhibited his plants at the annual Shillong floral show. He was the life member of Shillong Agri-Horticulture Society.
Choudhury underscored his contribution in developing the Polo-based Matri Mandir for which he faced stiff land and legal hurdles.
Among his last wishes was the revival of the Bamjangha Mahapeeth, one of the 51 Shakti Peeths situated at Baurbhag in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. He stressed the need to initiate the restoration of the Peeth – where the left thigh of Sati is believed to have fallen – constructed as a temple by Jaintia King Chatra Singh 400 years ago. The temple is in ruins now.
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