History

A Brief History of Barasat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School

Barasat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School began its journey with a handful of students on 26 February 1948, less than a month after the assassination of the Mahatma, and barely six months after he had led a prayer meeting at Barasat, his last at this suburb, at the end of August, 1947. The establishment of a quality learning centre in the name of the Mahatma was conceived after the prayer meeting, and his tragic death hastened the process of the establishment of the school.

A few educationists and persons interested in education started the school on 26 February 1948. Initial name waa “Barasat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial English School”. Teaching-learning began on 01 March with only 38 students at Barasat Pyary Chayan Sarkar Government High School.

In 1950 Sri Hiralal Gupta and Sri Kiran Bandhu Chattopadhyay donated two nights(66 decimals) of land for construction of a new school building. On 4 March that year Dr. Snehamoy Dutta, Director of School Education, laid the foundation stone of the new building.

Initial fund for the school was Rs. 50/-, which was provided by the late Dr. Durgadas Mukhopadhyay and Anil Krishna Ghoshal, members of the first Managing Committee. Sri Purna Chandra Sen, the then S.D.O. of Barasat, was the President of the first Managing Committee. The construction work began under the able leadership of the founder Headmaster late Binoy Bhushan Gangopadhyay.

The new building was inaugurated on 26 February 1951 by Dr. Parimal Roy, the then Director of School Education, and subsequently teaching-learning was started there. Sri Binoy Bhushan Gangopadhyay worked as Headmaster for 25 years. He earned impeccable reputation as Headmaster.

The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee In 1998 and Diamond Jubilee in 2008 with grandeur. As part of the Golden Jubilee celebration, publication of two useful books named “Itihaser Barasat” and “Smarak Grantha” was planned, and they finally came out on 26 February 2003. To commemorate the Diamond Jubilee year of the school, a special edition of Sabuj Patra, the school magazine, was published.

On 29 January 2014 an half bust of the Mahatma was installed in the school premises. A souvenir on the founder Headmaster was published. Besides, a well-decorated Meeting Room, Office Room, Headmaster’s Room, Record Room, RO drinking water facility, Medicinal Plants Garden etc. were inaugurated.

On 05 October 2016 a multi-gym was opened in the school. For this Rs. 5 lac had been sanctioned by Sri Dipak Chakraborty (Chiranjit) from his MLA LAD fund.

Sri Barun Das, a benevolent guardian, bore the entire cost of installation of a 16-camera CCTV in the school premises. The facility was also opened on 05 October 2016.

A well-designed gate came up at the main entrance of the school with monetary help from Smt. Sukla Bhattacharya and Sri Paritosh Bhattacharya, parents of ex-student Pradipta. Pradipta, a 2008 H.S. pass-out with brilliant results, died an unnatural death on 14.01.2014 at his workplace in Bhubaneswar at the tender age of 24. The donation for construction of the gate came from his earnings.