From The Record Keeper To The Judge, The Story Of One Scholar

An age old concept of handing over the pivotal positions to people more experienced had finally come to an end. A young man in a black coat sat on the seat of a judge and worked with an energy never seen before. Time had come to reverse old traditions and show the people that less experience doesn't necessarily mean less talent.

Shambhunath Pandit: A book by Chinmoyee Pandit Datta and Amaleschandra Datta; Source: Parul Prakashani

It was the summer of the 1800s when an old house in Bhowanipur lit up with a lantern. A young clerk from the Sadar Court lives alone in this cottage. Every afternoon, the house became lively yet again when a few of his friends spending the entire evening doing bizarre activities. But these bizarre activities certainly did not include gossips, jokes, slander, or any other form of entertainment.

What happens when you set up an imaginary court with fictional characters roaming around in black coats and white bows? This is exactly what the group did the entire evening. If an outsider suddenly entered the house, he would certainly mistake it as a real courtroom. The arguments and judgements certainly made the imaginary scene even more realistic.

Three young boys playing the role of a judge, criminal, and lawyer entered the arena. One of them was Shambhunath Pandit, who was a clerk and used to study day and night to pass his law exam. The other two were named Harishchandra Mukherjee who was an ardent fan of patriotism and Annadaprasad Bandopadhyay who worked as a lawyer in Sadar Hospital.

Instead of jokes and gossips, the house always reverberated with law discussions which laid the foundation of their career. Little did the neighbours, who complained regarding the incessant noise, know that three famous lawyers of the country were going to arise from the small town of Bhowanipur.

Shambhunath, the protagonist of the story, was born in 1820. Coincidentally, it was the birth year of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who later on became a friend of Shambhu and their friendship lasted till Vidya’s last day on the surface of the earth.

As a child, Pandit was always ill. After not being able to take care of him properly, his father sent him to his uncle’s house in Lucknow. His mama ji was like his second father. Shambhu’s health never deteriorated after his uncle started taking care of him and he also learned Urdu and Persian from his uncle. When he reached the ripe age of 14, he was finally sent back to his hometown.

When he came back to Bhowanipur, he was admitted to a school named Oriental Seminary where a man named Jeffery taught English. Shambhunath and Kshetrachandra were two of his favourite students. Though not an ardent fan of numbers, alphabets always entranced Shambhu. His intelligence, reasoning power, smooth silver-tongue with excellent power of persuasion, gave him the name of ‘Fusion’.

Word-smartness does not work everywhere is what most of us believe in. But Shambhu has something different to say. One day during recess, a drunken man came running with a sword into the school. While everyone panicked, Shambhu bravely went to the man, engaged him with words, and took the sword from him.

Talent and eloquence cannot drive away the impending hours of misfortune. When Pandit was in class 10, his father married another woman from Lucknow. After some days of his marriage, his father succumbed to cholera. The responsibility of taking care of the entire household fell on Shambhu’s shoulders.

He kickstarted his career as an assistant record keeper in Sadar court and earned 18 rupees per month. Shambhu also earned some extra amount of money by translating the documents written in Bengali and Persian into English. His translation shocked the Europeans in the court. Impressed by his work, Sir Robert Barlow gave him the job of a clerk.

Alongside his job, Shambhu also started writing books. His books became quite famous among the European masses and his reputation grew by leaps and bounds.

The year 1848 was a turning point in his life when he was finally allowed to practice law in the Sadar Court. His consistency towards his practice made him the first-class criminal lawyer within a few days. Salary increased and so did his living style. His talent stole the hearts of many. After teaching in Presidency College as a law professor for two years, his fate finally took him to his destination.

Ramaprasad who was appointed as the judge in Calcutta High Court died due to a disease. It was finally that very year when Shambhu replaced him, becoming the youngest judge of the era. As soon as he started his tenure, criticisms never left his back. Protests, news articles, and complaints filled the court. How could a 43-year-old man become the judge of such a reputed court?

Indians were horrified to see such a young man sitting in a position that should have been given to a person who was older and more experienced. But destiny had planned something else for Pandit. His tenure proved to be very successful. It was because he could handle every case with an eloquence unmatched.

Every tenure comes to an end when the tenure-holder goes for retirement. In this case, Shambhu did not only retire from his profession but his life as well. Diagnosed with a disease called carbuncle, Pandit refused to go for any treatment. The poison gradually spread to the entire body. Seeing his end in front of his eyes, he signed the will and asked his entire family to come and sit near him. While Shambhu’s eyes were closed, he went into a deep sleep to never wake up again. It was June 7, 1867, when he was declared dead by the family.

Starting his life in a small room of Bhowanipur, he reached the huge courtroom of Calcutta. His journey to the top was never easy but his passion and determination made it possible.