Womesh chunder bonnerjee first president of the indian national congress

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee- First President of the Indian National Congress

Here we list five amazing facts about the first President of the INC.

By 14th Dec, 2015 | 12:14 pm

Here we list five amazing facts about the first President of the INC- Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee.

1. Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, born on 29 December 1844, was an Indian barrister and was the first President of the Indian National Congress. He was the first Indian to contest the election for the British House of Commons, but he lost the election.

2. Womesh’s career started in 1862 when he joined W. P. Gillanders, Attorneys of the Calcutta Supreme Court, as a clerk. Here, he acquired knowledge of law, which helped him in his career later.

3. In 1868, after returning to Calcutta (Kolkata), he found support from Sir Charles Paul, Barrister-at-Law of Calcutta High Court. Another reputed barrister J. P. Kennedy also helped Womesh to establish his reputation as a lawyer.

4. In 1883, Womesh defeated Surendranath Banerjee in the famous Contempt of Court Case against him in the Calcutta High Court. Within a few years, he became the most sought-after High Court barrister.

5. In 1892, Womesh again became the President of the Indian National Congress in the Allahabad session; however, he condemned the position stating that India needed to prove its worthiness for political freedom.

Tejal Mistry