Writer, journalist and activist Peary Chand Mitra, who used the pseudonym Tekchand Thakur, was born on this day. He was a member of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s Young Bengal group. He wrote Alaler Gharer Dulal, considered one of the earliest Bengali novels. Mitra was taught Persian early in life and later studied English at Hindu College. He worked as a librarian and held many other positions. He contributed to many journals and was involved in various social activities. He had started with Radhanath Sikdar, who had calculated the height of Mount Everest, a journal called Masik Patrika. Alaler Gharer Dulal, which means the spoilt son of an affluent family, was serialised in this journal.
Written in simple Bengali prose, it was a harsh critique of Bengali society and the moral decadence of baboodom.