उमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी

उमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी
भारतीय वकील और भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के पहले अध्यक्ष

उमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी (29 दिसम्बर 1844 – 21 जुलाई 1906, व्योमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी के रूप में भी जाने जाते हैं) भारतीय बैरिस्टर एवं भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के प्रथम अध्यक्ष थे। ब्रिटेन के हाउस ऑफ कॉमन्स के लिये चुनाव लड़ने वाले वे प्रथम भारतीय थे (किन्तु वे जीत नहीं पाये)। ब्रितानी संसद में प्रवेश पाने की उन्होने दो कोशिशें की किन्तु असफल रहे।
उमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी
जन्म
29 दिसम्बर 1844
कलकत्ता, ब्रितानी भारत
मृत्यु
21 जुलाई 1906 (उम्र 61)
राष्ट्रीयता
भारतीय
शिक्षा प्राप्त की
ओरिएंटल सेमिनरी
हिन्दू स्कूल
व्यवसाय
वकील
प्रसिद्धि कारण
भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के प्रथम अध्यक्ष
जीवनसाथी
हेमांगीनी मोतीलाल (वि॰ 1859)
पूर्व जीवन:

उमेश चन्द्र बनर्जी का जन्म 29 दिसम्बर 1844 को कलकत्ता के एक उच्च मध्यम वर्ग के कुलीन ब्राह्मण परिवार में हुआ। उनके पूर्वज हुगली जिले के बंगदा नामक गाँव से थे। उनके पिता कलकत्ता उच्च न्यायालय में न्यायवादी थे। 1859 में उनका विवाह हेमांगिनी मोतीलाल के साथ हुआ। उन्होंने 1862 डब्ल्यू॰पी॰ अटोर्नीज़ ऑफ़ कलकत्ता सुप्रीम कोर्ट में लिपिक की नौकरी आरम्भ की। इस समय उन्होंने कानूनी जानकारियाँ प्राप्त की जो उनके आगे के जीवन में काफी सहायक रही। 1864 में उन्हें बम्बई के आर॰जे॰ जीजाबाई ने छात्रवृत्ति के साथ इंग्लैण्ड भेजा। 1868 में अपनी कोलकाता वापसी पर उन्हें सर चार्ल्स पॉल, बैरिस्टर-एट-लॉ, कलकत्ता उच्च न्यायालय में नौकरी मिली। अन्य वकील जे॰पी॰ केनेडी ने भी उनकी एक वकील के रूप में काफी सहायता की। कुछ ही समय में वो उच्च न्यायालय के जाने-माने वकीलों में से एक हो गये। वो कलकत्ता विश्वविद्यालय के छात्र एवं इसके विधि संकाय के अध्यक्ष भी रहे और इसके बाद विधान परिषद् के लिए भी चुने गये। वो कलकत्ता बार से 1901 में सेवा निवृत्त हुये। उनकी पुत्री जानकी बनर्जी ने नेवंहम कॉलेज, कैंब्रिज यूनिवर्सिटी में प्राकृत विज्ञान, रशायन शास्त्र, प्राणीशास्त्र और कार्यिकी की शिक्षा प्राप्त की।
भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष:

उन्होंने भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के बम्बई में 1885 में हुये प्रथम सत्र की अध्यक्षता की। यह सत्र 28 दिसम्बर से 31 दिसम्बर तक चला था और 72 सदस्यों ने इसमें भाग लिया था।
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Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee (or Umesh Chandra Banerjee by current English orthography of Bengali names) (29 December 1844 – 21 July 1906) was an Indian barrister and was the first president of Indian National Congress.
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee
WCBonnerjee.jpg
Portrait
Born
29 December 1844
Calcutta, British India
Died
21 July 1906 (aged 61)
Croydon, London, England
Nationality
British Indian
Alma mater
Oriental Seminary
Hindu School
Occupation
Lawyer
Known for
1st president of Indian National Congress
Political party
Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)
Hemangini Motilal (m. 1859)
Early days:

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee was born on 29 December 1844 at Calcutta (now Kolkata), in the present-day state of West Bengal. He studied at the Oriental Seminary and the Hindu School. In 1859, he married Hemangini Motilal. His career began in 1862 when he joined the firm of W. P. Gillanders, attorneys of the Calcutta Supreme Court, as a clerk. In this post he acquired a good knowledge of law which greatly helped him in his later career. In 1864 he was sent to England through a scholarship from Mr. R. J. Jijibhai of Bombay where he joined the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in June, 1867. On his return to Calcutta in 1868, he found a patron in Sir Charles Paul, Barrister-at-Law of the Calcutta High Court. Another barrister, J. P. Kennedy, also greatly helped him to establish his reputation as a lawyer. Within a few years he became the most sought after barrister in the High Court. He was the first Indian to act as a Standing Counsel, in which capacity he officiated four times — 1882, 1884, 1886-87. In 1883 he defended Surendranath Banerjee in the famous contempt of court case against him in the Calcutta High Court. He was the fellow of Calcutta University and was the president of its law faculty and often represented it in the legislative council. He retired from the Calcutta bar in 1901. His daughter Janaki Bonnerjee studied natural science, chemistry, zoology and physiology at Newnham College, Cambridge University.
As president of Indian National Congress:

He presided over the first session of the Indian National Congress held at Bombay in 1885 from 28 December to 31 December and attended by 72 members. In the 1886 session held at Calcutta, under the presidency of Dadabhai Naoroji, he proposed the formation of standing committees of the Congress in each province for the better co-ordination of its work and it was on this occasion that he advocated that the Congress should confine its activities to political matters only, leaving the question of social reforms to other organisations. He was the president of the Indian National Congress again in the 1892 session in Allahabad where he denounced the position that India had to prove her worthiness for political freedom. He moved to Britain and practiced before the Privy Council. He financed the British Committee of Congress and its journals in London. In 1865 Dadabhai Naoroji founded the London Indian society and Bonnerjee was made its general secretary. In December 1866, Naoroji dissolved the society and formed East Indian Association. When Bonnerjee became the Congress president Naoroji along with him, Eardley Norton and William Digby opened The Congress Political Agency, a branch of Congress in London.[6] He lived in Croydon and named his residence after his birthplace Khidirpur.[6] The Liberal party made him his candidate for the Barrow-in-Furness seat in 1892. Bonnerjee was defeated by Charles Cayzer, a Tory candidate. In the same elections Naoroji won the Finsbury Central constituency and defeated his nearest rival by a narrow margin of only 5 votes. Naoroji became the first Indian member of the British Parliament. In 1893, Naoriji, Bonnerjee and Badrubdin Tyabji founded the Indian Parliamentary Committee in England.