Basanta Kumar Biswas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1895-02-06)6 February 1895 |
| Died | 11 May 1915(1915-05-11) (aged 20) |
| Organization | Jugantar |
| Movement | Indian Independence movement |
Basanta Kumar Biswas (6 February 1895 – 11 May 1915) was an Indian pro-independence activist involved in theJugantar group who, in December 1912, played a role in the bombing of theViceroy's parade in what came to be known as theDelhi-Lahore Conspiracy.[1][2][3]
Biswas was one of the illustrious names of the early pro-independence activists ofBengal and the entire country. He was expert in bomb making and was initiated intorevolutionary movement byJugantar leadersAmarendranath Chattopadhyaya andRash Behari Bose.[1][2][4]
Basanta Kumar Biswas was born on 6 February 1895 atPoragacha village in aBengali Hindu aristocraticMahishya family ofNadia district of present dayWest Bengal, to Motilal Biswas and Kunjabala Devi.[5][6] His ancestor (grand uncle),Digambar Biswas had gained fame as an active leader of theIndigo revolt (Nil Bidroha,1859) against the forced cultivation of the cash crop and freedom fighterManmathanath Biswas was his cousin.[7][3] He started his schooling in M. I. School in nearby village ofMadhavpur established by social reformer and industrialistGagan Chandra Biswas, with his cousin Manmathnath Biswas. In 1906, Basanta was moved toMuragacha school, where he studied uptoEntrance examination.[6] Under the guidance of Khirodh Chandra Ganguly,Head teacher of Muragacha school, Basanta started his journey of freedom fight. When he was a student of this School he took active part in the Swadeshi agitation at Poragachcha and its neighbourhood.[8][9] In 1907, he left his studies and took up a job in 1910 at a swadeshi cloth store at Uttarpara, but left it for touring the different places of India. He went toPuri, and eventually went toBenaras, where he stayed atRamakrishna Mission. Next year he metRash Behari Bose inDehradun and was recruited by him. Bose trained him in arms and bombs and lovingly often called himBishe.[10][2][3]
Basanta Kumar Biswas was a member ofJugantar group, known for his organisation skills and was an important intermediary between Calcutta office of Jugantar and the 'co-conspirators' inChandannagar.[2] After meeting Rash Behari Bose in Dehradun, he was politically indoctrinated and learnt practical trainings to carry out his mission. He was brought to Lahore by Bose in October 1912 and stayed there with his Punjabi associates. At Lahore he took the job of a compounder at a popular dispensary.[11]
Biswas participated in the plot to throw a bomb onLord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India. It was carried out by him on 23 December 1912, when Lord Hardinge was passing through Chandni Chowk, Delhi, in a state procession marking the inauguration ofDelhi as the capital of India. Dressed in women's clothing, Basanta went to a rooftop overlooking viceroy's route reserved for ladies. He introduced himself to other spectators as Lakshmibai – an allusion to famous Rani ofJhansi. As the procession was passing by the rooftop, where Biswas was waiting, a bomb sailed down and exploded behind the viceroy. Hardinge was seriously injured, and the servant behind him holding his parasol was killed.[12] As soon as his job was done Basanta dashed down to street and threw off his saree and disappeared into the crowd. He returned toPunjab where he carried on his revolutionary activities. The authors of the deed remained obscure for many months despite the state's intense investigation, and lucrative reward.[13][14][15][16]
Biswas was arrested on 26 February 1914 at Poragachha, Nadia while he went to perform the last rites for his father. He was also accused of throwing a bomb in the Lawrence Garden,Lahore, on 17 May 1913, in which a peon was killed. The trial, which came to be called theDelhi-Lahore Conspiracy Case, began on 23 May 1914 in Delhi;Amir Chand, Abadh Behari, andBhai Balmukund, were condemned to death in the trial, and Basanta Biswas was found guilty but initially sentenced to life imprisonment as he was just seventeen years of old.[13][14][17]
Anappeal was formulated atLahore High Court. The Crown won its appeal and Biswas was sentenced to be hanged.[18]
Basanta Kumar Biswas was hanged on 11 May 1915 at Ambala Central Jail inPunjab aged twenty and became one of the youngest people to be executed during the Indian revolutionary struggles during the 20th century.[1][19]
There is a statue of Basanta Biswas was established by Rasbihari Basu in a park ofTokyo, Japan. Another statue is situated in front of Rabindra Bhawan,Krishnanagar, Nadia.[20] A school incivil lines, Delhi was named "Shaheed Basant Kumar Biswas Sarvodaya Vidhyalaya" in his memory. Although it was later renamed toRajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya. Loka Sabha SpeakerMeira Kumar has installed a photo of Basanta Kumar at the Museum of theIndian Parliament.Ujjal Biswas, an Indian politician and the present Minister in theGovernment of West Bengal belongs to the family of Basanta Biswas.[21] The minister has been organising a three-day fair titledBasanta Mela at his village home in the month of February for the past 30 years.[22]
Shaheed Basanta Biswas, a burning symbol of patriotism, was born on February 6, 1895, in an educated Banedi Mahishya family in Poragachha village, near Krishnanagar, the headquarters of Nadia district. His father Motilal Biswas was a retired railway employee and his mother was Kunjabala Devi.
