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Boys Anglo Bengali Inter College: Singers Sagnik Sen, Anubha Banerjee donate for renovation of 118-yr-old building

Noted Bengali singer Sagnik Sen and Anubha Banerjee have extended their support to Boys Anglo Bengali Inter College in Sunderbagh, Lucknow for raising funds to renovate its 118-year-old school building.

Published on: Nov 22, 2018, 12:47:12 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By , Lucknow
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Noted Bengali singer Sagnik Sen and Anubha Banerjee have extended their support to Boys Anglo Bengali Inter College in Sunderbagh, Lucknow for raising funds to renovate its 118-year-old school building.

The dilapidated building of Boys’ Anglo Bengali Inter College in Sunderbagh, Lucknow. (Deepak Gupta/ HT Photo)
The dilapidated building of Boys’ Anglo Bengali Inter College in Sunderbagh, Lucknow. (Deepak Gupta/ HT Photo)

The building is in a very dilapidated condition. Both the singers would be in Lucknow to perform at a charity event ‘A tribute to legendary singer Hemant Kumar’ organized by the school authorities in Ravindralaya on November 24.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

The school was established in year 1901 at Kali Bari temple in Ghasiyari Mandi here. In 1935, it was shifted to its present building which was gifted by its owner KN Tandon to the school trust.

Sagnik Sen has been honoured with prestigious ‘Academica Music Award of Hollywood’, while Anubha Banerji is an exponent of Rabindra Sangeet and an alumnus of Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan in West Bengal.

The management and teachers of school are excited with the positive response of Sen. They feel that his gesture would help them renovate the 118-year-old school building which is falling apart now.

They have also alleged that except salaries, the government was not giving them any money to repair the school building where around 700 students from lower middle class families were enrolled.

Manager of the school, Ashish Bhattacharya said, “The government allocates only 10 paise as electricity fee, 15 paise as lab charges. In such a condition, how can the school survive? The school cannot take money from students who are mostly from lower middle class background and some of them even struggle for two square meals.”

He said, “The school is battling for survival. So, we have decided to organise a cultural programme to raise funds and draw attention of authorities and school’s alumni towards the problems. The entry in the programme would be possible through passes only.”

Bhattacharya said, “In the past, some of our teachers have spent on renovation of some parts of the school building from their pocket but this time we need a bigger amount. So, we decided to plan something which can draw attention of Lucknowites towards the school’s problems.”

Chemistry teacher at the school, Nivedita Singh has donated ₹3.5 lakh for repairing the chemistry lab. Similarly, the biology lab was repaired with the contribution of biology teachers.

The school is also battling the shortage of staff as the government is not allowing further appointments for class IV staff and peons.

Singh said, “At times, we have to pick up broom and clean the classes and lab. Students also help us, but this is shameful for the system. Despite all odds, the school is producing more than 90% result every year. It is because of the staff’s dedication and love for their job.”

  • Anupam Srivastava
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Anupam Srivastava

    Anupam Srivastava is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Lucknow, with over 26 years of experience in journalism. A widely travelled reporter, he is known for producing impactful exclusives, investigative reports, and in-depth analyses across environment, science, healthcare, women's issues, human-interest stories, civil aviation, surface and inland water transport, agriculture, urban and rural development, governance, public policy, politics, culture, music, and literature. Recognised for his meticulous research and evidence-based reporting, he has consistently highlighted issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary citizens, exposing governance gaps, policy failures, and environmental concerns while amplifying the voices of underserved communities. His reporting has influenced public discourse and contributed to administrative action and policy interventions, including the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to accord river status to the Kukrail instead of a drain after his reportage brought the issue into focus. His commitment to public-interest journalism has earned him prestigious awards for excellence in reporting on environment, science, literature, and culture. Combining investigative journalism, data-driven analysis, and compelling storytelling, Anupam Srivastava continues to produce journalism that informs, influences, and promotes accountability, firmly upholding the values of an independent and responsible press.Read More