Harish Chandra Mukherjee
| Harish Chandra Mukherjee হরিশ্চন্দ্র মুখোপাধ্যায় |
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|---|---|
| Born | April 1824 Kolkata, Bengal, British India |
| Died | June 16, 1861 (aged 37) Kolkata, Bengal, British India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Harish Chandra Mukherjee (Bengali: হরিশ্চন্দ্র মুখোপাধ্যায়) (1824 – 1861), was an Indian journalist and patriot, who fought tooth and nail for the indigo cultivators (and against the indigo planters) and forced the government to bring about changes.
Son of Ramdhan Mukherjee, the family hailed from Sridharpur in Purba Bardhaman district but he was brought up in his maternal uncle’s place at Bhowanipur in Kolkata. As per the custom of the day, his father had three wives. Harish Mukherjee was son of the third wife Rukmini Devi. He was a free student at Union School but had to give up studies because of poverty. He started working in a small firm but later found employment, through competitive examinations, as a clerk in the office of the Military Auditor General. He gradually rose to a high position in that office and worked there all his life.
In 1852, he became a member of British Indian Association and soon became one of the members of its think-tank. He was one of the founders of the Bhowanipur Brahmo Samaj.
A self-taught person he attained proficiency in history, politics, law and English. He severely criticised the government in such newspapers as Hindu Intelligencer edited by Kashiprasad Ghosh and The Bengal Recorder edited by Ramgopal Ghosh. He was associated with the Hindu Patriot right form its start in 1853. In 1855, he secured the ownership and became the editor of the newspaper. Sambhunath Pandit used to write articles on legal matters in it.
When the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 struck, the political reaction in Bengal was not well defined. “There were, however, bold adventurers who could perceive dimly the inevitable trend in India’s political evolution.” He wrote in the Hindu Patriot, “The time is nearly come when all Indian questions must be solved by Indians. The mutinies have made patent to the English public what must be the effects of politics in which the native is allowed no voice.”
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