Jatindra Nath Das
Encyclopedia
Jatindra Nath Das also known as Jatin Das, was an India
n freedom fighter
and revolutionary
. The death of Jatin Das in Lahore
jail after 63 days of hunger strike
shocked the whole of India. Jatin Das is the only person to fast to death before independence, Potti Sreeramulu
fasted to death for a separate Andhra after independence. (in 1952)
In November 1925, while studying for a B.A.
at Vidyasagar College
in Kolkata, Jatindra Nath was arrested for his political activities and was imprisoned in Mymensingh
Central Jail. Protesting against the ill treatment of political prisoners, he went on a hunger strike. After 20 days, when the Jail Superintendent apologised, Jatin gave up the fast. He was contacted by revolutionaries in other parts of India and agreed to participate in bomb-making for Bhagat Singh and comrades.
On 14 June 1929 he was arrested for revolutionary activities and was imprisoned in Lahore jail to be tried under the supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case
.
along with other revolutionary fighters, demanding equality for Indian prisoners and undertrials. The conditions of Indian inhabitants of the jails was deplorable-the jail uniforms that they were provided with were not washed since several days, the kitchen area and the food was covered with rats and cockroaches, they were not provided with any reading material-no newspapers, no paper, while the condition of the English prisoners in the same jail was strikingly different.
The memorable hunger strike started on 13 July 1929 and lasted 63 days. The jail authority took many measures to forcibly feed Jatin Das and the other freedom fighters, beat them and did not even provide them with drinking water. However, Jatindra did not eat. The jail committee recommended his unconditional release, but the government rejected the suggestion and offered to release him on bail. Jatin died on September 13, 1929, his hunger strike unbroken for 63 days.ref>Indian Post article As his body was carried from Lahore to Kolkata by train, thousands of people rushed to every station to pay their homage to the martyr. A two-mile long procession in Kolkata carried the coffin to the cremation ground. The hunger strike of Jatin Das in prison was one crucial moment in the resistance against illegal detentions.
After his death, the Viceroy informed London.:
The highest tributes were paid by almost every leader in the country. Mohammad Alam and Gopi Chand Bhargava
resigned from the Punjab Legislative Council in protest. Motilal Nehru
proposed the adjournment of the Central Assembly as a censure against the inhumanity of the Lahore prisoners. The censure motion was carried by 55 votes against 47.
n martyrs. Let us bow our heads and pray for strength to act to carry on the struggle, however long it may be and whatever consequences , till the victory is ours ". This is what Jawahar Lal Nehru said while commenting on death of Jatin Das. Contemporary India , NCERT textbook in Social Studies
(2002) ,the character of Jatin Das was played by Amitabh Bhattacharjee
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n freedom fighter
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and revolutionary
Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
The Revolutionary movement for Indian independence is often a less-highlighted aspect of the Indian independence movement -- the underground revolutionary factions. The groups believing in armed revolution against the ruling British fall into this category. The revolutionary groups were...
. The death of Jatin Das in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
jail after 63 days of hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
shocked the whole of India. Jatin Das is the only person to fast to death before independence, Potti Sreeramulu
Potti Sreeramulu
Potti Sreeramulu , was an Indian revolutionary. He became famous for undertaking a fast-unto-death for achieving the Andhra State and losing his life in the process. His sacrifice became instrumental in the linguistic re-organisation of states. He is revered as Amarajeevi in Andhra for his...
fasted to death for a separate Andhra after independence. (in 1952)
Early life
- Jatindra Nath Das was born in KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. He joined Anushilan SamitiAnushilan SamitiAnushilan Samiti was an armed anti-British organisation in Bengal and the principal secret revolutionary organisation operating in the region in the opening years of the 20th century. This association, like its offshoot the Jugantar, operated under the guise of suburban fitness club...
, a revolutionary outfit in BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. Jatindra participated in GandhiMahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
's Non-Cooperation movementNon-cooperation movementThe non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
in 1921.
In November 1925, while studying for a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at Vidyasagar College
Vidyasagar College
Vidyasagar College , named after Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, is a government-sponsored day and evening college, affiliated to the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, India.-Notable alumni:*Jatindra Nath Das*Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar...
in Kolkata, Jatindra Nath was arrested for his political activities and was imprisoned in Mymensingh
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
Central Jail. Protesting against the ill treatment of political prisoners, he went on a hunger strike. After 20 days, when the Jail Superintendent apologised, Jatin gave up the fast. He was contacted by revolutionaries in other parts of India and agreed to participate in bomb-making for Bhagat Singh and comrades.
On 14 June 1929 he was arrested for revolutionary activities and was imprisoned in Lahore jail to be tried under the supplementary Lahore Conspiracy Case
Lahore Conspiracy Case
This can refer to :* The First Lahore Conspiracy, also known as the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial in the aftermath of the Ghadar conspiracy in 1915* The Second Lahore Conspiracy Case, the trial of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev in 1931...
.
The hunger strike
In the Lahore jail, Jatin Das started a hunger strikeHunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
along with other revolutionary fighters, demanding equality for Indian prisoners and undertrials. The conditions of Indian inhabitants of the jails was deplorable-the jail uniforms that they were provided with were not washed since several days, the kitchen area and the food was covered with rats and cockroaches, they were not provided with any reading material-no newspapers, no paper, while the condition of the English prisoners in the same jail was strikingly different.
The memorable hunger strike started on 13 July 1929 and lasted 63 days. The jail authority took many measures to forcibly feed Jatin Das and the other freedom fighters, beat them and did not even provide them with drinking water. However, Jatindra did not eat. The jail committee recommended his unconditional release, but the government rejected the suggestion and offered to release him on bail. Jatin died on September 13, 1929, his hunger strike unbroken for 63 days.ref>Indian Post article As his body was carried from Lahore to Kolkata by train, thousands of people rushed to every station to pay their homage to the martyr. A two-mile long procession in Kolkata carried the coffin to the cremation ground. The hunger strike of Jatin Das in prison was one crucial moment in the resistance against illegal detentions.
After his death, the Viceroy informed London.:
Jatin Das of the Conspiracy Case, who was on hunger strike, died this afternoon at 1 p.m. Last night, five of the huunger strikers gave up their hunger strike. So there are only Bhagat Singh and Dutt who are on strike ...
The highest tributes were paid by almost every leader in the country. Mohammad Alam and Gopi Chand Bhargava
Gopi Chand Bhargava
Gopi Chand Bhargava was the first Chief Minister of Punjab from August 15, 1947 to April 13, 1949 and again between October 18, 1949 toJune 20, 1951 and for the third time between June 21, 1964and July 6, 1964.He was member of the Congress....
resigned from the Punjab Legislative Council in protest. Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress, who remained Congress President twice, and...
proposed the adjournment of the Central Assembly as a censure against the inhumanity of the Lahore prisoners. The censure motion was carried by 55 votes against 47.
Remembrance
"Another name has been added to the long and splendid roll of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n martyrs. Let us bow our heads and pray for strength to act to carry on the struggle, however long it may be and whatever consequences , till the victory is ours ". This is what Jawahar Lal Nehru said while commenting on death of Jatin Das. Contemporary India , NCERT textbook in Social Studies
In popular Culture
In the movie The Legend of Bhagat SinghThe Legend of Bhagat Singh
The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a 2002 Hindi historic biographical film about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who fought for Indian independence. It was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starred Ajay Devgan, Sushant Singh, and Ian Davies...
(2002) ,the character of Jatin Das was played by Amitabh Bhattacharjee
Amitabh Bhattacharjee
Amitabh Bhattacharjee is a Bengali and Hindi film actor. He was born and brought up in Delhi. His Bengali debut film was Rasta directed by Bratya Basu with Mithun Chakraborty.High School Vinay Nagar Bengali Sr. Sec., New Delhi, India...
.
External links
- Indian Post article
- The Pioneer article by Balbir Punj