Jagadish Chandra Halder
A retired West Bengal doctor who writes on the Matua faith and on refugees, and volunteers at workers' hospitals, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
Jagadish Chandra Halder is a doctor and writer from West Bengal, known for his voluntary service and for his books on the Matua faith and on the lives of refugees. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of literature and education, from West Bengal [1].
A doctor
Halder was born on 13 June 1948 [2]. He took his MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1972 and later further qualifications in clinical pathology and diabetes [2]. He worked under the West Bengal Health Scheme until he retired in 2008 [2].
He gives his time to the Belur Shramajibi Hospital in Howrah and to the Sunderban Shramajibi Swasthya Prakalpa at Sarberia in North 24 Parganas [2].
Writer
His books include Historicism of Matua Dharma and Spiritualism, on the history and thought of the Matua faith, and Prosanga Bangladesh [2]. He has also written on the Marichjhapi massacre and on the citizenship of refugees [2]. He is involved in the Matua movement and in expanding its literature [2].
The refugee cause
Halder has long campaigned for refugees [2]. On 25 October 2016 he spoke before the Joint Parliamentary Committee in New Delhi on granting citizenship to refugees [2]. He received the Mother Teresa International Award for best social worker in 2015 and an Ambedkar Mission award from Calcutta University [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2021: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2021: citation for Jagadish Chandra Halder — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
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