Life sketch of B.M.T.

Life Sketch of Braja Mohan Thakur

Braja Mohan Thakur S/o Late Pandit Ganesh Dutt Thakur alias Bacharu Thakur was born on 14.2.1889 at village Araria Bairgachi, Araria, Dist. Purnia (now Araria).

Mr. Thakur belonged to medium class family. He started his educational career by dint of his own efforts and Endeavour at Araria. He passed Entrance Examination from Araria High School and was placed in first division. Thereafter he went to Bhagalpur, got admitted in T.N.J. College, Bhagalpur (Now TNB College) in the faculty of Arts and completed his graduation from T.N.J. College securing first class. Thereafter with the help of Raja of Srinagar Deorhi he went to Calcutta for higher educations and there he got Master's Degree from Calcutta University in the year 1918 in Philosophy saving special subject Sankhy and Vedanta and was placed in 2nd Class.

In Calcutta with the efforts of Sri Thakur Santan Dharm Vidyalaya and Saswat Khetriya Vidyalaya were established and he held the post of Headmaster of both the institutions in Calcutta. Mr. Thakur was appointed as translator of Government of Bengal. Thereafter the vice Chancellor of Calcutta University and Hon'ble Justice of Calcutta High Court Sri Ashutosh Mukherjee appointed him as the member of council of Post Graduate in Calcutta University and became the professor of Calcutta University in Hindi Subject. At that time Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was enrolled as a student of B. L. Course in Calcutta University and Mr. Thakur also took admission is bosom friends with warm heart. They established Vidwat Samiti in Calcutta and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the president of the said Samiti and Mr. Thakur was the Secretary and through the said samiti they fought out the social taboos and encouraged the students who n B. L. course in evening shift. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was senior to Sri Thakur by one year but both of them came in close to each other wanted to go for higher studies in foreign countries.

Mr. Thakur continued to be a member of the board of higher studies and a paper setter in Hindi (M.A. Examinations) from 1921 to 1925.

On the request and appeal made by Sri Thakur, Raja Bahadur Krityanand Singh of Banaily and Raja Tank Nath Choudhary created separately a chair of Maithili in Calcutta University. Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, not only approved the project but helped a lot in establishing more academic chairs. Mr. Thakur succeeded in his efforts to include Maithili Subject in Calcutta University (vide proceeding of Education Committee dated 7.8.1919 and 8.8.1919). Mr. Thakur was deputed by the Calcutta University to go to Banaras, Allahabad and Mithila at the expense of the University to make collection of printed books and manuscript in Maithil to be used as Text Books of M.A. standard (vide proceeding of A. C. dated 9.9.1919 of Calcutta University). Mr. Thakur collected much books on Masithili and got them deposited in Calcutta University. He was also appointed by the University as examiner and question setter in Maithili subject of M.A. standard. Besides Hindi Mr. Thakur was also a good scholar of English, Sanskrit, Bengali, Maithili ad Urdu too. He was the first M.A. B.L. degree holder in old Purnia district.

Raja Kalikanand Singh of Srinagar Estate helped Mr. Thakur in meeting his educational expenses in Calcutta and later on requested him to join Bar of District Court, Purnia in the year 1929 because there were large number of cases pending at Purnia and Mr. Thakur agreed to the request of Raja Kalika Nand Singh and left Calcutta University and joined Purnia district court and mostly took up civil cases. In the mean time he was appointed as Hon’ble Justice of Indore High Court but due to sudden death of his father he could not join the post of the Hon’ble Justice and continued his practice at Purnia till 1965. While practicing as a pleader at Purnia he was life long member of Purnia Zila school and was elected as Secretary of Kalanand Vidyalaya Garhbanaili. He was attorney of Raj Darbhanga, Raj Maldwar, Raj Banaili, Raja Sri Nagar and also became Government Pleader at Purnia. He was facilitated with a Tamrapatra by the renowned socio-cultural organization Chetna Samiti, Patna in the year 1972.

Mr. Thakur was a famous legal luminary not only of Purnia Bar, but also the whole of Bihar. He was a son of the soil of Purnia who breathed his last on the 9th December 1977, leaving behind his inspiration and aspiration. After his demise, his son Birendra Mohan Thakur dreamt of establishing a law college in Purnia in his loving memory to facilitate legal education in this backward region to cater to the legal needs for common masses and accordingly the college was established on 14.03.1982 with the moral support of colleagues, friends & well-wishers.