Revolutionary Movement in Bengal
Maj Gen P K Mallick, VSM (Retd)
It was a privilege and honour to attend the book release function held at Nehru
Memorial Museum and Library on 18 April 2017. It was also the Commemoration of
the 87th Anniversary of the Chittagong Uprising.
The English translation (A STUDY OF LIFE) of JEEBON ADHYAYAN,
the autobiography of the late Freedom Fighter, Smt Kalyani
Bhattacharjee (née Das) was released by Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani,
Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles. Professor Makarand Paranjape of
Jawaharlal Nehru University spoke on “The Ideals of the Freedom
Movement, Nation & Nationalism”.
I am grateful to Jay Bhattacharjee popularly known as
Jay Da to invite me for this surprisingly well attended
function.
Who is Smt Kalyani Bhattacharjee (née Das) . If you
ask for the names of Agni Kanyas, the women
revolutionaries of India, names like Bina Das, Kalpana
Datta, Pritilata Waddedar would immediately come up. Very little is known about
countless others who sacrificed their all for the motherland. Smt Kalyani
Bhattacharjee (née Das) , sister of Bina Das was one of them.
For large number of us, even the name of Bina Das would not ring
a bell.
On 6th February 1932, the whole ambience of convocation Hall of
Calcutta University was disrupted by a volley of bullets fired by a
young girl. The young and courageous girl was arrested on charges
of attempting to assassinate Stanley Jackson, the British governor
of Bengal. This girl was none other than Bina Das, the courageous
student who dared to shake the British Empire with her revolutionary action.
Women have equally contributed to free India from foreign rule and Bina Das was
one of them. Though Bina participated in rallies and protest marches, she started
realizing that armed revolution is only the way to strike terror in the minds of the
British. With a fierce resolution to gain freedom, Bina Das plunged into action by
joining “Chhatri Sangha”, a revolutionary group in Calcutta. The first action of this
revolutionary party was to kill a ruthless and tyrannical British Governor during the
convocation ceremony. Since Bina Das was also going to get her graduation degree
at that event, she decided to take the initiative of assassinating the ruthless
Governor. The convocation ceremony was filled with several young graduates and
Bina Das was one of them. When Stanley Jackson was about to arrive at her side,
Bina Das immediately fired five bullets from her revolver. But the governor managed
