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Bhupendra Kumar Datta: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Indian revolutionary}} | |||
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==Daulatpur College== | ==Daulatpur College== | ||
After joining the [[Scottish Church College]] of Kolkata, in 1911, Bhupen came across two significant members of the initial [[Anushilan Samiti]] of Kolkata, who introduced him to [[Sachin Sanyal]] from [[Varanasi|Benares]], who was desirous to join an active revolutionary party. His prior release from the Howrah Trial and informed him about a forthcoming [[World War I|World War]]. During this time, [[Jatindranath Mukherjee]] or [[Bagha Jatin]] had suspended all violent activity, preparing for an armed insurrection all over India.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=''Nixon's Report'' |editor=Amiya K. Samanta |year=1995 |title=Terrorism in Bengal |volume= | After joining the [[Scottish Church College]] of Kolkata, in 1911, Bhupen came across two significant members of the initial [[Anushilan Samiti]] of Kolkata, who introduced him to [[Sachin Sanyal]] from [[Varanasi|Benares]], who was desirous to join an active revolutionary party. His prior release from the Howrah Trial and informed him about a forthcoming [[World War I|World War]]. During this time, [[Jatindranath Mukherjee]] or [[Bagha Jatin]] had suspended all violent activity, preparing for an armed insurrection all over India.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=''Nixon's Report'' |editor=Amiya K. Samanta |year=1995 |title=Terrorism in Bengal |volume=II |publisher=Government of West Bengal |page=591}}</ref><ref>''agniyug o biplabi bhupendrakumar datta'' by Samyukta Mitra, [[Sahitya Samsad]], 1995, pp38-39.</ref> Discouraged at the suspension of all revolutionary activities, Sachin went to the [[Anushilan Samiti#Dhaka Anushilan Samiti|Dhaka Anushilan Samiti]] whose leaders did not participate in Bagha Jatin's programme. Led by a faint clue in 1913, Bhupen decided to go to [[Khulna]] and join the Daulatpur Hindu Academy. Encouraged by the liberal spirit reigning in the campus, Bhupen brought together his own group of college-mates interested in social work, raising funds for the poor by offering manual labour, gymnastics, study sessions for the ''[[Gita]]'' and essays of contemporary thinkers. They founded their own hostel. Several professors of the college and the superintendent himself, like for example [[Shashibhushan Raychaudhury]] (or more commonly known by his nickname) "Shashida", who was more famous for his experiments in education, and had been closely associated with Bagha Jatin, used to visit the college. | ||
Introduced by Shashida, after a number of contacts, Bhupen recognised in Bagha Jatin the leader he was waiting for. Invited by his friend [[Hemanta Kumar Sarkar]], Bhupen went to Krishnagar and spent a few days in the company of [[Subhas Chandra Bose]], the future "Netaji". Contrary to his habit, during a conversation, Bhupen disclosed to the friends his meeting with Bagha Jatin and informed them that he sensed that there was a big revolutionary preparation going on under Jatin's guidance. Subhash listened to all this and, moved up to his core, retired without dinner. He had a conviction that one had to be a "liberated soul" (''mukta-purush'') in order to lead a revolution and, the next day, asked Bhupen point blank, "Is Jatin Mukherjee a ''mukta-purush''?" Bhupen told him that he had no idea of what a ''mukta-purush'' was, but there was a man who not only quoted the Gita but whose very life was an embodiment of the teachings of the Gita.<ref>Samyukta, pp67-68</ref> | Introduced by Shashida, after a number of contacts, Bhupen recognised in Bagha Jatin the leader he was waiting for. Invited by his friend [[Hemanta Kumar Sarkar]], Bhupen went to Krishnagar and spent a few days in the company of [[Subhas Chandra Bose]], the future "Netaji". Contrary to his habit, during a conversation, Bhupen disclosed to the friends his meeting with Bagha Jatin and informed them that he sensed that there was a big revolutionary preparation going on under Jatin's guidance. Subhash listened to all this and, moved up to his core, retired without dinner. He had a conviction that one had to be a "liberated soul" (''mukta-purush'') in order to lead a revolution and, the next day, asked Bhupen point blank, "Is Jatin Mukherjee a ''mukta-purush''?" Bhupen told him that he had no idea of what a ''mukta-purush'' was, but there was a man who not only quoted the Gita but whose very life was an embodiment of the teachings of the Gita.<ref>Samyukta, pp67-68</ref> | ||
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Drawn by the relief work organised by the revolutionaries in August–September 1913, in collaboration with the [[Ramakrishna Mission]] during the flood on the Damodar in the districts of [[Burdwan]], [[Midnapore]] and [[Hooghly district|Hooghli]], Bhupen met there some of the stalwart collaborators of Jatin Mukherjee. Arun Chandra Guha wrote: "The police had somehow got information that behind the facade of relief work, Jatin and other workers were forging a powerful revolutionary organisation".<ref>{{cite book |author=Arun Chandra Guha |year=1971 |title=First Spark of Revolution |publisher=Orient Longman |pages=189–190 |oclc=254043308 }}</ref> Bhupen was to know later that during the flood relief, at Kalinagar in Medinipur, [[Atulkrishna Ghosh]], [[Amarendra Chatterjee]], [[Jadugopal Mukherjee]] and others brought together, under the moral and spiritual caution of Bagha Jatin, the various branches and sub-groups of the secret societies in order to create the rising [[Jugantar]], which was more a concerted movement than a party.<ref>Samyukta, p4</ref> | Drawn by the relief work organised by the revolutionaries in August–September 1913, in collaboration with the [[Ramakrishna Mission]] during the flood on the Damodar in the districts of [[Burdwan]], [[Midnapore]] and [[Hooghly district|Hooghli]], Bhupen met there some of the stalwart collaborators of Jatin Mukherjee. Arun Chandra Guha wrote: "The police had somehow got information that behind the facade of relief work, Jatin and other workers were forging a powerful revolutionary organisation".<ref>{{cite book |author=Arun Chandra Guha |year=1971 |title=First Spark of Revolution |publisher=Orient Longman |pages=189–190 |oclc=254043308 }}</ref> Bhupen was to know later that during the flood relief, at Kalinagar in Medinipur, [[Atulkrishna Ghosh]], [[Amarendra Chatterjee]], [[Jadugopal Mukherjee]] and others brought together, under the moral and spiritual caution of Bagha Jatin, the various branches and sub-groups of the secret societies in order to create the rising [[Jugantar]], which was more a concerted movement than a party.<ref>Samyukta, p4</ref> | ||
After returning to Daulatpur, Bhupen learnt from his college mate Gopaldas Majumdar that Bagha Jatin was soon leaving his business as a contractor in order to go back to [[Kolkata]].<ref name="baran">''smaran-baran'', 1981, pp38-41</ref> After a significant farewell visit to Bhupen, Jatin sent a horse to Dr Amulya Ukil of the campus, apparently for the latter's use; thanks to this gift, Bhupen and the other boys took lessons in riding.<ref>Samyukta, pp68-69</ref> Assisted by Bhupen, Dr Ukil in earnest discipline took to training the students in military drill, [[Flag semaphore|semaphore]] signaling, arms collection, propaganda among military police and the fluvial workers of [[Khulna]]-[[Jessore District|Jessore]] regions. On visit to Daulatpur, Subhas Chandra Bose and Hemanta Kumar Sarkar were so impressed by this pageant that during the Kolkata session of the National Congress, in 1928, when Bose organised the [[Bengal Volunteers]] in a fully military style, he was happy to have Bhupen by his side.<ref>Samyukta, p69</ref><ref name="Dictionary"> | After returning to Daulatpur, Bhupen learnt from his college mate Gopaldas Majumdar that Bagha Jatin was soon leaving his business as a contractor in order to go back to [[Kolkata]].<ref name="baran">''smaran-baran'', 1981, pp38-41</ref> After a significant farewell visit to Bhupen, Jatin sent a horse to Dr Amulya Ukil of the campus, apparently for the latter's use; thanks to this gift, Bhupen and the other boys took lessons in riding.<ref>Samyukta, pp68-69</ref> Assisted by Bhupen, Dr Ukil in earnest discipline took to training the students in military drill, [[Flag semaphore|semaphore]] signaling, arms collection, propaganda among military police and the fluvial workers of [[Khulna]]-[[Jessore District|Jessore]] regions. On visit to Daulatpur, Subhas Chandra Bose and Hemanta Kumar Sarkar were so impressed by this pageant that during the Kolkata session of the National Congress, in 1928, when Bose organised the [[Bengal Volunteers]] in a fully military style, he was happy to have Bhupen by his side.<ref>Samyukta, p69</ref><ref name="Dictionary">{{cite book |author=Kamala Das Gupta |year=1972 |chapter=Datta, Bhupendrakumar |editor=S. P. Sen |title=Dictionary of National Biography |volume=I |publisher=Institute of Historical Studies |location=Calcutta |page=383 |oclc=58642818}}</ref> On visiting India after forty-two years, Dr. [[Tarak Nath Das]] reminded in his tribute to Bagha Jatin : "In Jatinda’s method of working there was a military discipline (…) Throughout the country, inspired by Jatinda's ideology, one has to create an organisation similar to the military model. That alone will be an adequate homage to Jatinda."<ref name= "Anandabazar">''[[Anandabazar Patrika]]'', 10 September 1952.</ref> | ||
==Kolkata again== | ==Kolkata again== | ||
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For students coming from the districts, Bhupen opened a hostel which counted among its inmates brilliant students like [[Meghnad Saha]], Sisir Mitra, Sailen Ghosh, Jatin Seth, Jnan Mukherjee, Jnan Ghosh, all of them known to Bagha Jatin and Shashida, all of them more or less involved in the [[Hindu–German Conspiracy]]. Similar other hostels were run by his revolutionary associates, out of which the [[Eden Hindu Hostel]] was to become a permanent reference for years to come. Bagha Jatin was a frequent visitor to these addresses which sheltered a number of future celebrities.<ref>Samyukta, pp 74-75</ref> | For students coming from the districts, Bhupen opened a hostel which counted among its inmates brilliant students like [[Meghnad Saha]], Sisir Mitra, Sailen Ghosh, Jatin Seth, Jnan Mukherjee, Jnan Ghosh, all of them known to Bagha Jatin and Shashida, all of them more or less involved in the [[Hindu–German Conspiracy]]. Similar other hostels were run by his revolutionary associates, out of which the [[Eden Hindu Hostel]] was to become a permanent reference for years to come. Bagha Jatin was a frequent visitor to these addresses which sheltered a number of future celebrities.<ref>Samyukta, pp 74-75</ref> | ||
In September 1915, after the self-undoing of Bagha Jatin, massive repression and imprisonment prevailed in India. Stunned by the leader's sudden death, whereas his top-ranking associates felt helpless and absconded, Bhupen stepped forward to remind them that a revolution could not die with the leader's death:{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} "Bhupendra Kumar Datta remained the sole moving worker to maintain the links and collect money," admitted Arun Chandra Guha. He was assisted by Charu Ghosh and Kuntal Chakravarti.<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|p=418}}</ref> His role was similar to that of Bagha Jatin during the [[Alipore trial]] in 1908–09. According to Jadugopal Mukherjee, "In 1917 Bhupen occupied a special place among our leading figures."<ref name="Biplobi jibaner">''Biplabi jibaner smriti'', 2nd ed, p380.</ref> On 17 May 1917, he was arrested. | In September 1915, after the self-undoing of Bagha Jatin, massive repression and imprisonment prevailed in India. Stunned by the leader's sudden death, whereas his top-ranking associates felt helpless and absconded, Bhupen stepped forward to remind them that a revolution could not die with the leader's death:{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} "Bhupendra Kumar Datta remained the sole moving worker to maintain the links and collect money," admitted Arun Chandra Guha. He was assisted by Charu Ghosh and Kuntal Chakravarti.<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|p=418}}</ref> His role was similar to that of Bagha Jatin during the [[Alipore trial]] in 1908–09. According to Jadugopal Mukherjee, "In 1917 Bhupen occupied a special place among our leading figures."<ref name="Biplobi jibaner">''Biplabi jibaner smriti'', 2nd ed, p380.</ref> On 17 May 1917, he was arrested. | ||
On the eve of the visit to India of [[Edwin Samuel Montagu]], Secretary of State for India in the British Cabinet, information came that the Government did not want to discuss with the Minister the fate of those accused of any implication in the Hindu–German Conspiracy. Immediately, the Jugantar group, then led by Jibanlal Chatterjee, published its declaration in December 1917: "But first and last, spread terror. Make this unholy Government impossible. Hide like invisible shadows of doom and rain death upon the alien bureaucracy. Remember your brothers who are perishing in jails and rotting in swamps. Remember those who have died or have gone mad. Remember, watch and work."<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|pp=418–419}}</ref><ref>''Rowlatt'', §98</ref> Protesting against the imprisonment of such a number of people without habeas corpus and against the physical and moral torture meted inside the prisons, an eight-page long appeal was written by Jiten Lahiri and Bhupendra Kumar Datta; it was sent to forty-two important personalities to inform the countrymen about the decision of a hunger strike taken by the political prisoners all over India.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} Transferred to Bilaspur Jail, Bhupen "continued his hunger strike for 78 days, till then the longest ever period of hunger strike in any country".<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|p=486}}</ref><ref | On the eve of the visit to India of [[Edwin Samuel Montagu]], Secretary of State for India in the British Cabinet, information came that the Government did not want to discuss with the Minister the fate of those accused of any implication in the Hindu–German Conspiracy. Immediately, the Jugantar group, then led by Jibanlal Chatterjee, published its declaration in December 1917: "But first and last, spread terror. Make this unholy Government impossible. Hide like invisible shadows of doom and rain death upon the alien bureaucracy. Remember your brothers who are perishing in jails and rotting in swamps. Remember those who have died or have gone mad. Remember, watch and work."<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|pp=418–419}}</ref><ref>''Rowlatt'', §98</ref> Protesting against the imprisonment of such a number of people without habeas corpus and against the physical and moral torture meted inside the prisons, an eight-page long appeal was written by Jiten Lahiri and Bhupendra Kumar Datta; it was sent to forty-two important personalities to inform the countrymen about the decision of a hunger strike taken by the political prisoners all over India.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} Transferred to Bilaspur Jail, Bhupen "continued his hunger strike for 78 days, till then the longest ever period of hunger strike in any country".<ref>{{harvnb|Arun Chandra Guha|1971|p=486}}</ref><ref name="Dictionary" /> | ||
==The Jugantar and Gandhi== | ==The Jugantar and Gandhi== | ||
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==A tribute== | ==A tribute== | ||
"Simple, unostentatious but erudite, Bhupendrakumar, with his well-built physique, serious but candid countenance, sparkling eyes and friendly smile, impresses one as an ascetic missionary mellowed by love for man. He is a firm believer in reason, science and progress, and has no patience with casteism, regionalism and communalism, nor with institutional religion that creates isolation and alienation," wrote [[Kamala Das Gupta]].<ref> | "Simple, unostentatious but erudite, Bhupendrakumar, with his well-built physique, serious but candid countenance, sparkling eyes and friendly smile, impresses one as an ascetic missionary mellowed by love for man. He is a firm believer in reason, science and progress, and has no patience with casteism, regionalism and communalism, nor with institutional religion that creates isolation and alienation," wrote [[Kamala Das Gupta]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Kamala Das Gupta |year=1972 |chapter=Datta, Bhupendrakumar |editor=S. P. Sen |title=Dictionary of National Biography |volume=I |publisher=Institute of Historical Studies |location=Calcutta |page=384 |oclc=58642818}}</ref> | ||
Bhupendrakumar guided three generations of Indian thinkers and activists. Having celebrated the centenary of Bagha Jatin's birth, he died quietly in Kolkata, on 29 December 1979. | Bhupendrakumar guided three generations of Indian thinkers and activists. Having celebrated the centenary of Bagha Jatin's birth, he died quietly in Kolkata, on 29 December 1979. | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
{{reflist | {{reflist}} | ||
{{Hindu-German Conspiracy}} | {{Hindu-German Conspiracy}} | ||
{{Indian independence movement}} | {{Indian independence movement}} | ||
{{Indian Revolutionary Movement}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Datta, Bhupendra Kumar}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Datta, Bhupendra Kumar}} | ||
[[Category:Anushilan Samiti]] | [[Category:Anushilan Samiti]] | ||