A controversy has surfaced over the proposed leasing of a mango orchard at the ancestral home of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the pioneer of the Bengal Renaissance, in Khanakul, Hooghly.
According to local sources, a vast mango orchard stands within the premises of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s ancestral home at Raghunathpur in the Khanakul area. The Hooghly Zilla Panchayat has moved to lease out the orchard for a period of three years and has recently issued a tender for the same.
The move has triggered strong reactions in the locality. Soon after the tender was announced, protests erupted, with opposition parties raising objections to the decision. Questions are being raised over whether a property identified as a heritage site can be leased out by government authorities.
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Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s ancestral home is heritage-listed, and critics argue that any commercial use of such property could undermine its historical and cultural significance. Adding to the concerns, descendants of Raja Ram Mohan Roy have also expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed lease, calling for greater sensitivity in handling sites linked to the reformer’s legacy.
The issue has now sparked a wider debate over heritage conservation, administrative authority, and the use of historically significant properties.
Local gram panchayat member and BJP leader Shashthi Majhi said, "Raja Ram Mohan Roy is the pride of all of us. They are even selling off the mango orchard associated with his memory. A heritage property cannot be leased in this manner."
BJP MLA Biman Ghosh said, "The mango orchard at Raja Ram Mohan Roy's ancestral home, declared as heritage, is being leased. It's shameful to even think about it. We strongly protest this. They don't know the history of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. They don't know the geography and economy of Khanakul."
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Hooghly Zilla Panchayat Sabhadhipati Ranjan Dhara is evading responsibility over the matter. He said, "Nothing has happened yet. I don't know anything about this." However, the lease tender was issued by his own department.
Trinamool state secretary Swapan Nandi said, "BJP doesn't allow any development. They object to everything. The mango orchard and Ram Mohan's birthplace must be protected. That's what we are doing. And BJP wants destruction."
Zilla Panchayat mentor Subir Mukhopadhyay said, "We haven't received any documents stating that the place has been officially declared heritage. The day we get a copy of the order, we will hand over the entire matter to the Heritage Trust. Like every year, this year too the mango orchard will be leased for three years. But this is still in processing. We have to keep the place secure. BJP will say many things."
Rammohan's great-grandson, Nityabrata Mukhopadhyay, said, "Let Ram Mohan's ancestral home be preserved first. Then lease it if you want. We have no consent regarding leasing the mango orchard."
