Our Journey Since 1970
Preserving community, celebrating heritage, and cultivating socio-cultural values across generations.
Kalkaji Bangiya Samaj
On Christmas Day, 1970 the idea that the new residents of East Pakistan Displaced Persons’ Colony, (as Chittaranjan Park was then known) need a socio-cultural organization was mooted. Thus ‘Kalkaji Bangiya Samaj’ came into existence in the drawing room of Shri Sudhir Banerjee (I-1631).
The neighbourhood was barely a few months old and there were no more than two dozen families who mustered the courage to move into a place which lacked many basic civic amenities like water, electricity, roads and markets. Moreover, security was a major issue for all residents as two frightful burglary attempts were made on the houses in B-Block as well as H-Block. These difficult circumstances did not deter this handful of Bengalis to crave for an exciting and meaningful social and cultural life.
Bangiya Samaj was the creative venture which fulfilled the desire of the new residents. Thus an organization was established with Fanindranath Sanyal as the President, Santi Mazumdar as General Secretary and B.N. Mazumdar, N.C. Chaudhuri, N.C. Dasgupta, H.N. Chatterjee, M.R. Bhowmik, B.B. Chakraborty, P.C. Sengupta, C.R. Deb, S.K. Dey, Ashutosh Dutta, Sushil Bhattacharya, D.R. Dasgupta and Sudhir Banerjee as founder members.
Milestones & Core Operations
The Samaj Library
In 1971, M.R. Bhowmik offered a room in his house (I-1752) to establish a library, officially inaugurated by Shri Triguna Sen, then Union Minister for Education, in July 1971. Beginning with under 600 donated books cataloged by professional librarian Shanti Ranjan Banerjee alongside volunteers Renuka Chakrabarti and Nimai Chaki, the popular library has evolved beautifully into an impressive modern setup housing over 15,000 volumes.
Cultural Legacy & Stage
Cultural activities began with plays directed by late Sanat Lahiri and Dipak Roy. Legendary performances like ‘Chaar Prahar’ at the New Delhi Kali Bari competition, ‘Shasti’ during the 1972 Rabindra Jayanti, and ‘Finger Print’ at Durga Puja laid foundations for regular ‘Jatras’ and open-air film fundraising screenings that provided premier entertainment in the pre-internet era.
Charitable Health Care
In June 1973, a Charitable Health Centre was opened under the supervision of renowned surgeon Dr. Santosh Kumar Sen and Convenor Anil Roy. The center setup a pathological laboratory delivering subsidized medical tests. It was here that a young medical graduate, Dr. Sudip Kumar Chaudhuri, started volunteering—and he continues to serve as one of the most trusted physicians in C.R. Park today.
The Iconic Paush Mela
First organized between Jan 12th–14th, 1973 under Chairman Dr. Subir Datta Roy and Secretary Subroto Sen, the 'mela' was inaugurated by MP Shri Shashi Bhushan at the zonal park between I and H block—forever christening it the **‘Mela Ground’**. It became an overnight cultural hit, drawing over 5,000 visitors to interactive stalls serving handmade Pitheys, hosting local games, and showcasing midnight draw lots.
Registration & Structural Expansion
To increase structural efficiency, a drafting committee led by Pashupatinath Bhattacharya, Manoranjan Bhowmik, and Subroto Sen registered the society on 21st February 1971. Early operations occurred in rented spaces with a bank balance of just Rs. 805.74, driven forward by critical contributors like Ashish Ganguly, Anil Roy, Satyaranjan Nag, Nipesh Talukdar, and Naresh Chandra Adhikari.
In 1984, during the 14th Annual General Body Meeting, the organization was formally renamed as the ‘Chittaranjan Park Bangiya Samaj’ to mirror the colony's newly appointed name, signaling the transition into its ultimate historical era.
An Imposing Modern Civic Entity
After securing land allocation in C-Block from the government, actual building construction launched in December 2000. Through the dedicated patience and diligence of Byomekesh Bose, Rathin Chakraborty, and Sreebash Bhattacharya, a magnificent, imposing landmark framework was erected.
Today, the Samaj holds recognition across Delhi NCR. It serves the neighborhood via structured children's education classes for music, dance, drawing, and Karate. The building houses a premium gymnasium, interactive indoor gaming halls, a public reading room, and hosts the widely anticipated annual pre-Puja Handloom Exhibition alongside routine medical camps in underserved spaces.