Unveiling of the Bust of Sir Catchick Paul Chater

On Friday 8th September, 2017 in the grounds of La Martiniere Boys’ School, Kolkata, India, a bust of their most famous student and benefactor, Sir Catchick Paul Chater (Khachig Pogose Astwachatoor) was jointly unveiled by His Excellency Mr. Armen Martirosyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of India and His Eminence, the Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta and President of the Ex-Officio Board of Governors, La Martiniere schools, Kolkata. Students from both the boys and girls schools of La Martiniere attended this long awaited occasion as well as the teaching staff, board of governors, members of the Armenian Community of Kolkata and numerous guests from different walks of life. The initiative of this wonderful occasion came from a joint collaboration between Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO, La Martiniere Schools and Mrs Sonia John, a former student of La Martiniere who also served as a member of the acting board of governors of the school. Mrs John is also the former chairperson of the Armenian Church Committee and the former honorary manager of the city’s Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy, one of the oldest educational institutions in the Armenian diaspora.

Sir Catchick Paul Chater, arguably the most famous Armenian of not only India but the whole of Asia was born in Calcutta to an Armenian family on the 8th of September, 1846. Khachig Pogose Astwachatoor, as he was named after his birth, was orphaned at the age of 9 and joined La Martineire for Boys’ School, Kolkata as a foundation scholar. At the age of 18, on the advice of his elder sister, he went to Hong Kong and very soon rose to prominence for his immense contributions to the colony. READ MORE->>