Manindra Chandra Nandy and the Freedom Struggle

Manindra Chandra Nandy was the Maharaja of Kasimbazar who played an influential role in the social and political reformation of the present-day Murshidabad district of West Bengal. A notable philanthropist and an advocate of modern education, Manindra Chandra Nandy was also an ardent patriot. He was a member of the Land Holders Society, a pre-congress organisation formed to oppose British imperialism. Nandy held the presidentship of the famous Calcutta town hall meeting of August 7, 1905, which formally proclaimed the Swadeshi Movement. During this period, he actively promoted swadeshi goods by financially supporting the Indian Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition of the Indian National Congress and swadeshi and handicraft industries like Bengal Potteries Works. He was also a member of the Indian Industrial Association, which was formed to popularise Swadeshi products. Nandy patronised and funded numerous educational institutions, including Banaras Hindu University, Berhampore College, Calcutta University, etc., which played stellar roles in the independence movement. He also patronised many scholars, like Hem Chandra Bandhopadhyay, who later played crucial roles in the anti-British crusade in India. The contributions Manindra Chandra Nandy made to the freedom struggle and Bengal Renaissance Movement are still remembered by people today.