While roaming on the streets of the Roma District (the hub of bohemian culture in Mexico City), one can find an old house. The nameplate shows that it used to be the residence of M N Roy! M N Roy or Manabendra Nath Roy (March 21, 1887 - January 25, 1954) was a 20th century Indian revolutionary, philosopher, radical activist and political theorist who had founded both the Communist Party of India (Tashkent Group) and the Mexican Communist Party.
Reports suggest that Roy started residing at this house with his wife Evelyn Leonora Trent (alias Shanthi Devi) after escaping from California in July 1917. The dilapidated house has become a nightclub that is named after the Indian freedom fighter. Now, musicians, artists and intellectuals frequent this place situated in the southern end of Roma, a picturesque middle-class neighbourhood in the Mexican capital. It is also one of the best places to enjoy electronic music in Mexico City. Only selected members are allowed to enter this nightclub.
The house, looks dilapidated from the outside, has a wonderful modern interior architecture. French architects Emmanuel Picault and Ludwig Godefroy worked really hard to make this architectural beauty. Mexico City is highly influenced by the Mayan, Aztec and Colonial cultures. One can find these traditions in various modern architects across the city. The interior of the M N Roy Club created by the two French architects is quite beautiful.
Roy was one of the revolutionary characters of colonial India's Freedom Movement. After graduating from Bengal Engineering College (now the Jadavpur University in Kolkata), he joined the armed struggle against the British rulers. Later, Roy fled to Japan in order to escape from the British Police and to collect funds for the Indian Freedom Movement. From Japan, he reached Palo Alto (a bustling suburb in Santa Clara County south of the city of San Francisco) via China. Roy was inspired by Communist Ideology during his stay in the US. However, he crossed the border to reach Mexico after coming under pressure of the British Secret Police.
In Mexico City, Roy met Borodin (born Mikhail Markovich Gruzenberg; July 9, 1884 - May 29, 1951), a Bolshevik revolutionary and Communist International (Comintern) agent. Later, he and some other Mexican socialists, like Adolfo Santibáñez, founded the Communist Party of Mexico. Interestingly, it was the first Communist Party outside of Russia. This improbable twist of fate propelled Roy to global fame. Gradually, his activities and talent attracted many prominent personalities, including Vladimir (Ilyich Ulyanov) Lenin, Joseph (Vissarionovich Jughashvili) Stalin, Leon Trotsky (born Lev Davidovich Bronstein) and Albert Einstein. He became a prominent face of the International Communist Movement when he founded the Communist Party of India in Tashkent in 1925. Finally, Roy returned to India and joined the Freedom Movement with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other freedom fighters. He passed away on January 25, 1954 in the northern Indian city of Dehradun.
French architect Picault has said that he and Godefroy wanted to provide the Mexicans with an alternative environment for entertainment purposes. This idea is reflected in their interior design. Their efforts are also in line with Roy's vision of an alternative architectural-cultural and modernist platform for psychic exploration.
Unfortunately, the majority of Indians have forgotten Roy and his armed struggle against the imperialist British rulers. However, the city of Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón and Gabriel García Márquez still remembers the Indian revolutionary! Roy's residence in Mexico City still bears the history that accompanies his name.
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