Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, also known as Umesh Chandra Banerjee, was a prominent Indian independence activist and the first President of the Indian National Congress (INC). Born on December 29, 1844, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), he hailed from an upper-middle-class Brahmin family.
Bonnerjee received his early education at the Oriental Seminary and the Hindu School in Calcutta. In 1862, he joined the law firm of W.P. Gillanders as a clerk, where he gained valuable legal experience. In 1864, he traveled to England on a scholarship and was called to the Bar in June 1867.
Upon returning to Calcutta in 1868, Bonnerjee established himself as a distinguished barrister. He became the first Indian to serve as a Standing Counsel, a position he held four times between 1882 and 1887. Notably, he defended Surendranath Banerjee in a contempt of court case in the Calcutta High Court.
Bonnerjee was a founding member of the Indian National Congress and served as its first President during its inaugural session in Bombay in 1885, which was attended by 72 members. He was re-elected as President in 1892 at the Allahabad session.
In 1892, Bonnerjee became the first Indian to contest a seat in the British Parliament as a representative of the Liberal Party, although he was unsuccessful in the election. He also co-founded the Indian Parliamentary Committee in England, alongside Dadabhai Naoroji and Badruddin Tyabji, to advocate for Indian interests in the British Parliament.
Bonnerjee passed away on July 21, 1906, in Calcutta. His contributions to India’s legal and political landscapes, as well as his role in the early stages of the Indian independence movement, have left a lasting impact.
