Author: Albert Nalbandian

IUSY condemns Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing policies

Albert Nalbandian
 Guest Contributor Diaspora, Youth 0

The 2023 International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Congress was recently held in Panama from June 22-25. The congress, which takes place every two years, saw the participation of over 300 delegates from more than 70 countries.

Throughout the congress, the presidium presented its comprehensive biannual report, while the assembly made critical decisions regarding the future activities of the international organization and conducted elections for a new executive body. Representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Youth delegation were Hasmik Burushyan and Sarineh Abrahamian, who also holds positions as an ARF member and vice president of IUSY.

One of the key highlights of the congress was the presentation and adoption of resolutions, which held significant importance. Thanks to the concerted efforts of ARF Youth, a resolution was successfully adopted recognizing the self-determination rights of the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh and vehemently condemning the implementation of ethnic cleansing policies by Azerbaijan. In addition, IUSY called for the opening of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor and an immediate end to the blockade imposed on Artsakh.

Meanwhile, an application for full membership from the CHP Youth organization of Turkey was declined due to their stance on issues such as the Armenian Genocide, the self-determination of Artsakh, and the rights of Syrian refugees and the Kurdish minority in Turkey. Furthermore, during the congress a new presidium was elected, and ARF Youth candidate Abrahamian was re-elected as vice president of IUSY.

Expressing her gratitude, Abrahamian stated, “Being re-elected to the IUSY presidium is both an honor and a responsibility. IUSY provides an influential international platform to foster connections with other political organizations and advance our national interests. The achievements of ARF Youth during this congress serve as a resounding message that we are at the forefront of our national struggle across all sectors.”

It is worth noting that the International Union of Socialist Youth is the youth organization of Socialist International, boasting a membership of over 163 organizations from more than 110 countries, with the ARF holding a full membership status.




Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan says extra guarantees for enclave’s ethnic Armenians impossible

Albert Nalbandian
Reuters

Azerbaijan's foreign minister has rejected a demand from Armenia to provide special security guarantees for some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ahead of a new round of peace talks. Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between the two Caucasus neighbours since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for well over a century. After heavy fighting and a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijan in 2020 took over areas that had been controlled by ethnic Armenians in and around the mountain enclave. The two sides have since been discussing a peace deal in which they would agree on borders, settle differences over the enclave, and unfreeze relations. In what looked like a breakthrough, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted last month as saying Armenia did recognise that Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan, but wanted Baku to provide the guarantees for its ethnic Armenian population.

In an interview with Reuters, however, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said such a guarantee was unnecessary, and the demand amounted to interference in Azerbaijan's affairs. "We don't accept such a precondition … for a number of reasons," he said.

"The most fundamental is the following: this is an internal, sovereign issue. The Azerbaijan constitution and a number of international conventions to which Azerbaijan is party provide all the necessary conditions in order to guarantee the rights of this population." He said ethnic Armenians could still use and be educated in their own language and preserve their culture if they integrated into Azeri society and state structures like other ethnic and religious minorities.

'SOME PROGRESS' Bayramov said there had been "some progress" in peace talks, and that Baku was keen to strike a deal, but also made comments that show how wide the gulf remains before he meets his Armenian counterpart for more talks in Washington next week:

"Why did it take the Armenian prime minister two-and-a-half years (since the war ended) to say he actually recognised the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?" Bayramov, who was in London to attend a conference about Ukraine's recovery, complained too about the continued presence of thousands of Armenian troops on Azeri territory.

Moscow – which has peacekeepers on the ground – and Washington and the European Union are all trying separately to help ensure lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars since the early 1990s and still have sporadic firefights. Pashinyan is under pressure at home to protect the rights of the ethnic Armenians living in the enclave as Baku pushes for ethnic Armenian government and military structures to be dissolved and the population to accept Azerbaijani passports. Tensions have been raised by Baku installing a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor – the only road that connects the enclave with Armenia – following months of disruption caused by people who called themselves Azerbaijani environmental activists.

Baku says the checkpoint is necessary to prevent the smuggling of military supplies into the enclave and illegally-mined materials out. It denies Armenian allegations that it has imposed a blockade that makes life miserable for Karabakh's inhabitants. Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire banker who was a top official in Karabakh's separatist government until February, on Thursday accused Baku of trying to "ethnically cleanse" the enclave by imposing what he called a goods and energy blockade – allegations that Azerbaijan denies.

Bayramov said a peace deal was within reach if Armenia was ready to take certain steps. "If there is a will not only to make statements but do some practical steps, I think that potentially it's possible to reach an agreement even earlier than the end of the year," he said.

"But if there's no real readiness … then it might be later."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/2498361-uk-supporting-families-of-lost-titan-submersible-crew-says-foreign-minister

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan rejects Armenian premier’s claims on Lachin road ‘blocking’

Albert Nalbandian
Turkey –

Baku on Thursday denied claims made earlier in the day by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Cabinet meeting in Yerevan that Azerbaijan is "illegally blocking" the Lachin route.

A statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it reminded Armenia that it was provocations by the Armenian military that obstructed the safe passages from the Lachin checkpoint, where it said it created “appropriate conditions” for the “transparent and safe passage” of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region.

“It seems that Armenia is resorting to such provocations because it is deprived of the illegal activities it carried out through the Lachin road after 2020, as well as because it is concerned about the positive approach demonstrated by Azerbaijan during the passage of the Armenian residents,” the statement said.

The statement rejected the Armenian claims that there is a "humanitarian crisis in the region" and Yerevan’s calls for the introduction of an "international mechanism" in dialogues between Baku and local Armenian residents, which the statement said is “an internal matter of Azerbaijan.”

“Azerbaijan is determined to implement relevant necessary measures for the reintegration of Armenian residents, and the invitation addressed to Armenian residents for the purpose of discussing these and other issues is still valid,” the statement further said.

The statement also said that Armenia’s use of this issue for “manipulation” and to obstruct the peace process in the region is “unacceptable.”

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh – a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020 in 44 days of fighting, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

Despite ongoing peace agreement talks between Baku and Yerevan, tensions between the neighboring countries have escalated in recent months due to the Lachin corridor, which serves as the sole land route providing Armenia access to Karabakh.



BREAKING: Nagorno Karabakh serviceman shot, wounded by Azerbaijani forces

Albert Nalbandian

 15:10,

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military violated the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh around 13:00 on June 22 in the direction of Martakert region, wounding Defense Army serviceman Mher K. Hakobyan. The Azerbaijani forces used small arms in the shooting, the Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) said in a statement.

The ministry added that it has reported the shooting to the Russian peacekeeping contingent command.

Sports: Crew’s Lucas Zelarayan scores twice in Armenia’s upset win in Wales

Albert Nalbandian
COLUMBUS CREW

by: Orri Benatar



CARDIFF, Wales (WCMH) — The Columbus Crew’s superstar attacking midfielder put together his first dominant performance on the international stage on Friday afternoon.

Lucas Zelarayan is spending the week with the Armenian national team and was the man of the match in the team’s huge upset win 4-2 over Wales in Cardiff. The Black & Gold’s No. 10 scored his first two international goals and provided an assist in the nation’s second game in the UEFA Euro qualifiers.

Homophobic chants force US-Mexico soccer match to end early in Las Vegas

The 30-year-old was born in Argentina but decided in 2021 to represent Armenia after being invited to represent the European nation. Zelarayan is of Armenian descent through his father and all soccer players are allowed to switch which country they represent in international play one time.

Zelarayan and Armenia will host Latvia on Monday in its last qualifying game until September. The top two teams in Armenia’s group will qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Germany. Armenia, Wales, and Latvia are in a group with Turkey and Croatia.

He is expected to be back with the Crew for the team’s June 24 home match against Nashville SC at Lower.com Field.


Is Washington threatening a counter-terrorist operation in Karabakh? Comments from Yerevan and Baku

Albert Nalbandian



  • JAMnews
  • Baku-Yerevan

RIA Novosti: Washington forcing NK to negotiate

“Washington is forcing the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh to agree in the near future to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side in a “third country” with the participation of an American curator.” This information was disseminated by Russian media with reference to a “diplomatic source”. The report also says that in case of refusal, “the Karabakh leadership is threatened with an Azerbaijani counter-terrorist operation in the region.”

“The West does not serve or support any ‘military intervention’ against Nagorno-Karabakh,” says a political commentator from Yerevan. “The message from an allegedly diplomatic source in Washington is nothing more than a hoax from the Kremlin,” adds an expert from Baku.

  • “Regional players are not interested in a large-scale escalation.” Opinion from Yerevan
  • Georgia ranks 36th in the Steve Hanke Suffering Index
  • Is the life of the residents of Gobu Park on the outskirts of Baku at risk?

The information was published by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. It emphasized that Washington’s goal is to infiltrate the region.

A little later, the same agency published the reaction of the Russian Foreign Ministry to this message:

“Russia is concerned about the data that the US is trying to impose mediation services in the dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert (including through threats), this raises questions about the adequacy of American mediators.”

A regular meeting between the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia took place in Chisinau. In the end, only the date of the next negotiation was reported

JAMnews has reached out to political observers in Yerevan and Baku for comment on these reports.

Political scientist Gurgen Simonyan believes that the RIA Novosti material contains elements of an information war. The quoted “diplomatic source”, according to him, is not credible, an attempt to “rock the situation”.

“The US can put forward an ultimatum demand, but I don’t think it was done. The toolkit of the States includes the use of force or the threat of force. But I don’t know if they did. I’m talking in the opposite direction – that it is necessary to direct Azerbaijan onto a constructive path,” he told JAMnews.

Simonyan is convinced that the West does not serve or support any “military intervention” against Nagorno-Karabakh and says that during the talks in Washington, the parties were given “homework” – how they imagine the solution to the security problem of NK Armenians.

According to the political scientist, Moscow “made its investment – not in favor of Armenia.”

“Contrary to the interests of its official, according to the documents of the military-political ally, Russia is promoting the Azerbaijani agenda in the most dangerous and destructive way for Armenia. Up to the point that it creates a threat to the very existence of Armenia,” he said.

The analyst believes that the Russian Federation is guided by the interests of Azerbaijan and on the issue of dialogue between Baku and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh:

“This dialogue gives Stepanakert subjectivity. And the Russian Federation put Nagorno-Karabakh on the altar as a price for continuing its aggression against Armenia. If successful, Russia will strengthen its presence, including the subjectivity of the Republic of Armenia in the subject of bargaining. Under no circumstances should we allow this to happen.”

The Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh published an extraordinary report on the consequences of the blockade and included personal stories of people in it. Details of the report, as well as assessment of the situation by the Armenian Foreign Ministry

He emphasizes that Russia has nothing more to do in the region because it has failed in all its obligations, and now “reaps the fruits of its bad policy.”

“Let Moscow not care about what mechanisms Armenia will try to protect its national security, restore balance in the region and prevent the violation of its national interests,” he concluded.

Political commentator Hagi Namazov believes that “the message from an allegedly diplomatic source in Washington is nothing but a stuffing from the Kremlin.”

“Several factors point to this.

First, the message was transmitted by an agency belonging to the Russian authorities. There, without the knowledge of the Kremlin curators, such messages are not published.

Second, there is no exact source. This “diplomatic source” may well be in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation,” he said.

Namazov draws attention to the fact that the very structure of the message also suggests some thoughts:

“The fact that if the illegal regime in Khankendi refuses to make contacts with Baku and surrender to the authorities, Azerbaijan will launch a counter-terrorist operation in Karabakh has not been a secret for a long time. This was openly stated by President Ilham Aliyev himself.

Moreover, the Russian authorities are well aware that Washington supported Aliyev’s statement about a possible amnesty for the so-called. leaders of the separatist regime in Karabakh.

The Americans do not need to frighten the Armenian population of Karabakh with an anti-terrorist operation. It comes from the logic of things.”

“There is another interesting point in this relatively small message. It turns out that Washington’s goal is to infiltrate the region. That’s funny.

Dialogue between Baku and Khankendi – on the Armenians in Karabakh, a stumbling block on the way to resolution

The US already has a lot of influence in the region. And the introduction of American troops into Karabakh is impossible for two reasons. Russian peacekeepers are stationed there now. And even if they leave in 2025, Azerbaijan will never agree to the deployment of troops from other countries. Because the presence of foreign military bases on the territory of the country is contrary to Azerbaijani legislation,” the political observer emphasized.

“So who needed this message? Of course, Moscow itself. Thus, the Kremlin is clearly hinting that it is against negotiations between Khankendi and Baku, and will also try to prevent a counter-terrorist operation in Karabakh. Because after the establishment of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the entire territory of Karabakh, Russian peacekeepers have nothing more to do there. And Russia has no plans to leave the region in 2025. Although official Baku is already talking about this at all levels.

I do not think that Russia is able to change something in Azerbaijan’s plans. By the end of this summer, the separatist regime in Khankendi will be finished. Almost no one in Baku doubts this,” Namazov concluded.

Pan-Armenian Games participation bids quadrupled for 2023

Albert Nalbandian

 12:32, 9 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. The Pan-Armenian Games World Committee held a session to discuss the organizational matters of the upcoming 8th Pan-Armenian Games scheduled to take place in August.

The opening ceremony will take place in Gyumri.

Pan-Armenian Games World Committee President Ishkhan Zakaryan said they have received thousands of applications for participation.

“At this moment we have received thousands of bids both from abroad and Armenia. The volunteer groups are also ready, we have 900 volunteers at this moment who will help organize the games,” Zakaryan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan was also in attendance at the meeting. He welcomed the steering committee members and commended the Pan-Armenian Games as an important component of independent Armenia’s public life.

“In the early years, the number of participants in the Pan-Armenian Games was around 1500, but now this number has quadrupled. The number of competitions doubled, allowing greater numbers of talented athletes to perform,” Khachatryan said, highlighting the fact that this year the tournaments will be held in Shirak, Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Ararat.

“It’s no secret that most of the cultural and sports events are centralized in the capital Yerevan, thus the provincial coverage of the Pan-Armenian Games is an important step to promote sports and healthy lifestyle in provinces,” he added, noting the importance of Pan-Armenian Games in terms of bringing together the Armenian communities from the Diaspora in Armenia.

Photos by Mkhitar Khachatryan




Asbarez: City of Glendale Begins Exploring District-Based Elections

Albert Nalbandian
by Contributor

 

 June 8, 2023

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories
City of Glendale District-Based Elections announcement graphic


GLENDALE— The City of Glendale is pursuing its first City Council district formation process. The first public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13 at 6 p.m. during its regularly planned City Council meetings located at 613 E. Broadway, in City Council Chambers. 

Currently, all registered voters in the City of Glendale have the ability to vote for all City Councilmembers in citywide elections. The proposed change to district-based elections will be put before voters on the March 2024 ballot. The City is considering a plan for six separate council districts and a directly elected Mayor. 

If this plan is approved by the voters, this would take effect beginning with Council elections starting in 2026. Voters would have the opportunity to elect one City Councilmember who lives in and is elected by voters in their district and all Glendale voters would also vote to select their next Mayor. 

To ensure each district has approximately the same number of residents, local governments use data from the most recent census to guide the establishment of districts. Members of the Glendale community are highly encouraged to participate in the districting process to ensure district lines respect neighborhoods, history, and geographic elements. 

Residents can get involved by attending public hearings and community workshops, sharing their thoughts on communities that should be kept together in a single district, submitting draft maps of proposed district lines, attending the public hearings, and subsequently providing feedback on other draft maps drawn by the community and National Demographics Corporation, the City’s professional demographer. 

As required by law, the City of Glendale will hold five public hearings. The first three have been scheduled: 

  • June 13 at 6 p.m. – First Public Hearing, Glendale City Council Chambers
  • July 11 at 6 p.m. – Second Public Hearing, Glendale City Council Chambers
  • August 15 at 6 p.m.  – Third Public Hearing, Glendale City Council Chambers

In addition, the City is hosting community workshops, virtually and in person, across Glendale to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the tools available to draw maps, ensure their community is fairly represented, and connect with others engaged in the district formation process. 

  • June 20 at 6:30 p.m. – Council in Your Neighborhood Pop-Up at Pacific Park
  • June 21 at 6:30 p.m. – Virtual via Zoom
  • Thursday, August 17 at 6:30 p.m. – Virtual via Zoom

Additional public hearings and workshops will be scheduled soon. Please refer to the Calendar webpage for meeting information. 

To help share information about the district formation process, gather maps drawn by the public, and collect public feedback, the City of Glendale has launched a dedicated district formation website. The website includes background information about district formation, a schedule outlining public meetings and draft map submission deadlines, frequently asked questions, resources for drawing maps, and details on how to get directly involved in the district formation process. As the process moves forward in the coming months, the City of Glendale will continue to update the website to include additional information on upcoming meetings and events. 

To view specific workshop dates and locations and to learn more about districting, visit the MapGlendale website. Please send any questions, comments, and map suggestions to [email protected], or contact the City by phone at (818) 548-4844 and press option 1.

Glendale, known as the “Jewel City,” is one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County. With a population of about 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers limitless opportunities. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter Glendale City Connection to stay informed on news & events in Glendale. Follow MyGlendale on Twitter for all Glendale updates.

Azerbaijani president gives ultimatum to Karabakh authorities

Albert Nalbandian
May 30 2023
May 30, 2023

The president of Azerbaijan has delivered an ultimatum to de facto authorities in Nagorno Karabakh: disband your government or prepare for the consequences. 

He suggested Baku could easily end Armenian administration of the region through military action. 

Ilham Aliyev was delivering a speech on May 28 in the town of Lachin, near the breakaway region, which was under Armenian occupation for three decades and returned to Azerbaijan after the 2020 Second Karabakh War.

"I am telling them again from here, from the land of Lachin which they had been exploiting for many years and were engaged in illegal settlement, that their book is closed," Aliyev said, addressing Armenian authorities of Karabakh. 

"The book 'Miatsum' is closed, the book of separatism is closed. The dream of independence follows the path of status. As for the status, we sent it to where it belongs during the Second Karabakh War," he said, referring to the 1980s movement demanding Karabakh's unification ("miatsum") with Armenia and his own victory speech after the 2020 war in which he said Karabakh's "status went to hell."

He went on: "Therefore, there is only one option left – to obey the laws of Azerbaijan, be a loyal and normal citizen of Azerbaijan, throw the fake state attributes in the trash, and dissolve the 'parliament' – as if there is a 'parliament' there, as if there is a president, as if there is a minister, all this is funny. We are simply being patient. However, everyone knows perfectly well that we have all the opportunities to carry out any operation in that region today. Therefore, the 'parliament' should be dissolved, the element calling himself 'president' should surrender, all 'ministers,' 'deputies' and others should give up their positions. Only in that case can a concession be made to them. Only in that case can we talk of an amnesty."

He added that officials who "put aside their false duties and apply for Azerbaijani citizenship" can expect "amnesty" from Baku.

The Armenian-populated region has effectively been under blockade since December last year when Azerbaijani government-backed activists staged a sit-in on the Stepanakert-Lachin road, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. The demonstrations ended after Azerbaijan set up a customs checkpoint on that road at the border with Armenia, but so far most Armenians have refused to enter through that checkpoint. 

Until early this year, there had been Russian-meditated meetings between representatives of Baku and the de facto Armenian administration of Nagorno-Karabakh. But since March there has been no progress on that front. And Aliyev’s latest remark makes it even harder to imagine any more such talks. 

It is a clear rebuff to the Western mediators seeking a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who say Baku should develop a "positive agenda" to make the region’s Armenian population feel safe under its prospective rule. Armenia, meanwhile, has already said it's ready to accede to Azerbaijan's main demand of recognizing its sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The de facto authorities of Karabakh immediately rejected Aliyev’s ultimatum and called on Baku to engage in "dialogue in an international format, based on the norms and principles of international law, especially on the principles of equality and self-determination of people, non-use of force and threat of force, peaceful settlement of disputes and principles of territorial integrity." 

Karabakh presidential spokesperson Lusine Avanesyan said that since the 2020 war, "[W]e have seen and continue to see manifestations of aggression in the form of local combat operations, blockade, energy and other pressures. This time, the president of Azerbaijan has added illegal demands to the elected authorities of the people of Artsakh."

Elsewhere in Aliyev's speech, he praised his government’s determination to prepare Lachin and other Karabakh towns for resettlement following the Armenian occupation. The first 20 families arrived in Lachin on May 27, and many more are expected to resettle by the end of June, Aliyev announced. "[A]bout 4,000 people will live in Lachin, perhaps even more, at the first stage," he said. 


The Armenian racing and real-estate king of colonial Calcutta

Albert Nalbandian
India –
TRINANJAN CHAKRABORTY

Calcutta, 1869. A 10-year-old Armenian boy arrives in the city from Julpha, Iran, to live with his uncle in order to receive better education. He is enrolled in the Armenian Philanthropic  Academy. Whenever he has some time off, the young lad is found at the Maidan, trying  to master a piebald pony. With time, he hones his riding skills, aided by tips and encouragement from the officers stationed at Fort William, many of whom frequented the Maidan. Eventually, it is thanks to one of them that the boy, named Johannes Carapiet Galstaun, has his first experience of horse racing. He wins that first race. The tale of J C Galstaun would span the next eight decades in Calcutta and would leave tangible remains we can see in Kolkata even today.

In time, the young man would emerge as the finest jockey in the city and later on, as age caught up, Galstaun would be the owner of the greatest array of race horses in Kolkata, and have stables in England. His stables were legendary and his horses would sweep the races more often than not.

The folks on the Maidan, who had witnessed the young boy with his pony, would probably have never imagined that he would go on to become one of the richest men in colonial Calcutta. In addition to being the overlord of the race course, J C Galstaun was a prolific real-estate developer. He leased plots from the military and developed prime residential projects.

Wikimedia Commons

The areas of Mayfair (Road), Queen’s Park (Road) and Ballygunge Park, in today’s Ballygunge neighbourhood were leased out by Galstaun. Standing even today are many of the properties that Galstaun had built — Freemason’s Lodge on Park Street, Saturday Club,  Harrington Mansion on Ho-Chi-Minh Sarani, Dalhousie Institute, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club building on Russell Street, Galstaun Mansions (renamed Queen's Mansions to commemorate queen Elizabeth II's visit to Calcutta in 1961) at the crossing of Park Street and Russell Street. 

Frank Bond; Bond Photograph Library, dsal.uchicago.edu

At one point in time, Galstaun had over 300 properties to his name in Kolkata. He was also a contributor in the funds raised for construction of Victoria Memorial.  

Suvendu Das

Galstaun’s most famous building in Kolkata is Galstaun Park, now known as Nizam Palace, which stands on A.J.C. Bose Road. The massive art-deco structure on the southern end of Chowringhee was built for his beloved wife Rose Catherine. In its  prime, Galstaun Park was known to be the envy of Indian kings and British lords. In fact, when the then-Prince of Wales (King Edward VIII) visited Calcutta, he stayed at Galstaun Park. Since by this time, Galstaun owned a fleet of horses greater in size than the Viceroy's cavalry, one can assume that the Prince of Wales’ honour was in no way lowered by staying in the home of a non-titled member of society.

Galstaun was also a philanthropist and supported institutions like St. Joseph's Hospital financially. During the Second World War, the mansion's grounds were opened to the troops, to make a temporary hospital for treating injured and sick Allied soldiers.

Suvendu Das

The magnificent five-domed mansion stands tall and proud to this day, only known by a different name. It's not clear how the property was transferred to the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Some sources say that it was sold to him in 1933, however there does not seem to be any documentation supporting the sale. According to one of Galstaun’s descendants, he lost it to the Nizam over a game of cards. A compulsive gambler, Galstaun was always known to pay up  his dues, no matter how steep they were. He also had a dry sense of humour and dedicated his reminiscences to the assorted bookmakers who drained him of large parts of his fortune. 

After Independence, Galstaun Palace was acquired by the government and it now houses several government departments including the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI). 

Sadly, the thousands who walk past one of Kolkata’s most recognised landmarks every day probably have no idea about its fascinating past. Characters like J C Galstaun arrived in the fledgling city of Calcutta and made tremendous contributions in transforming it into the sprawling metropolis it is today. Unfortunately, in the rush towards modernisation, their stories and their signatures are getting erased every day from the face of the city they helped create.