Kolkata: An 150-year-old rare Bible — its pages adorned with gold — that has been lying in neglect in a Baranagar library may soon get a new lease of life with the local MLA drawing the attention of the state assembly to press for its immediate restoration.
While visiting the historic Rajkumari Memorial Girls' High School (RKMGHS) in Baranagar, which was established in 1865, MLA and actor Sayantika Banerjee discovered this priceless artefact a few days ago. According to sources, during an assembly session, she presented the Bible and appealed to the Speaker, urging for its proper conservation.
"I have raised the issue in the assembly. For the benefit of future generations, it is crucial to preserve this Bible as a state heritage," Banerjee said.
"Impressed by Shashipada Banerjee's social reform activities and advocacy for workers' rights, renowned British educator and social reformer Mary Carpenter invited him and his wife, Rajkumari Devi, to England. During their visit, Carpenter presented him with a Bible, which he later gifted to the school's library. Today, this book is considered one of the school's most valuable assets," a school official said.
According to RKMGHS sources, Shashipada Banerjee, a devoted social worker from Baranagar, received an ancient Bible as a gift from England. "He placed this invaluable book in the library of the Rajkumari Memorial Girls' School, which he founded. The Bible holds many memories, but due to improper preservation, it is gradually deteriorating," a school official said. There are just two copies of the Bible in Asia. The other one is in a church in Goa.
"We feel very proud as both residents and public representatives of Baranagar Municipality that our MLA has taken such an initiative. If the Bible collected from our historic and traditional school is properly preserved by the state, it will uphold Baranagar's rich heritage," Ramkrishna Paul, former vice-chairman and councillor of Baranagar Municipality, told TOI.
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