Kharagpur, West Bengal In 1935 & Back
Kharagpur in West Bengal was better known as India’s “Railway Town“ and still boasts the longest platform in Asia, if not in the World. Its 20th Century community was largely founded to serve the fledgling Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) established in 1904 and staffed mainly by Colonials who incorporated British technology in the development of the railway.
When we went back on 1940 and little more , we found that British planned to develop a town which is near to Kolkata .The main purpose to setup railway junction was to avoid the excess pressure on Calcutta ,which is the prime port for eastern trade of British also to avoid pressure, if the japan bombing in Kolkata. Kaliakunda airbase was an strategically plan by the British to avoid the Japanese threat from east side and this based used by the British and American Air force during the second world war to bombing the Japanese occupied area and to stop there ground force to enter British occupied India.
You can realize the importance of kaliakunda base, this base use in second world war, in 1965 and in 1971 .I heard many stories from my grandfather (Mr. Dinanath Singh) who was working in kalikunda base as an technical staff about how the east Pakistani aircraft attack in kalikunda base and how the IAF fighter short the pak plane after big dog fight. In 1971 war this base played a crucial role in the freedom of Bangladesh, and the prompt action of the IAF there was no causality happened as like 1965.
As kharagpur is centrally located, therefore British buildup railway factories here based on raw materials from near about area and technical know-how from Kolkata engineering belt .Same pattern was followed by the first independent Indian Govt. after the suggestion by the CM of West Bengal (Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy) to set-up the first IIT of India .As kharagpur developed as a main railway junction of South East zone so there were many British officers were many appointed in this town. After independence most of the British family leaves kharagpur but still here some Anglo Indian community lived near Puri Gate area.
In this post you I can give you some information and pictures of 1940 and back kharagpur.
As kharagpur is centrally located, therefore British buildup railway factories here based on raw materials from near about area and technical know-how from Kolkata engineering belt .Same pattern was followed by the first independent Indian Govt. after the suggestion by the CM of West Bengal (Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy) to set-up the first IIT of India .As kharagpur developed as a main railway junction of South East zone so there were many British officers were many appointed in this town. After independence most of the British family leaves kharagpur but still here some Anglo Indian community lived near Puri Gate area.
In this post you I can give you some information and pictures of 1940 and back kharagpur.
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