Anathbandhu Panja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 October 1911 (1911-10-29) Jalabindu,Midnapore, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 2 September 1933 (1933-09-03) (aged 21) Midnapore, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Occupation | Revolutionary |
| Organization | Bengal Volunteers |
| Movement | Indian Freedom Movement |
Anathbandhu Panja (29 October 1911 – 2 September 1933) was an Indian revolutionary and member of theBengal Volunteers who carried out assassinations against British colonial officials in an attempt to secure Indian independence.[1]
Panja was born in a poorMahishya family at Jalabindu Village inSabang,Paschim Medinipur in 1911.[2] Surendra Nath Panja and Kumudini Devi were his parents.[3] He lost his father at the age of three and lived with his mother and elder brother.[4][5][6] He completed his early education from Bhuban Pal's Village Pathsala and then he went with his mother to Midnapore Town and got admitted in Sujaganj Primary School.[3] Subsequently, he was admitted toMidnapore Town School but he could not continue his studies due to his economic hardahips.[2][3] He joinedBengal Volunteers, a revolutionary organisation ofBritish India and under the direction of the organisation he got admitted at theMidnapore Collegiate School.[7] At that time he was a member of ballavpur Jimnasiyam club.[8][9] He accompaniedNirmal Jibon Ghosh,Brajakishore Chakraborty,Mrigendra Dutta andRamkrishna Roy toCalcutta to learn how to fire a pistol and subsequently returned toMidnapore to join theIndian independence movement.[5][6]
After the assassination of two previousDistrict Magistrates James Peddy and Robert Douglas, no British officer was ready to take charge ofMidnapore district. Bernard E. J. Burge,[10][11] a ruthless District Magistrate and former soldier, was posted to Midnapore. Members of the Bengal Volunteers,Ramkrishna Roy,Brajakishore Chakraborty,Prabhanshu Sekhar Pal,Kamakhya Charan Ghosh, Sonatan Roy, Nanda Dulal Singh, Sukumar Sen Gupta, Bijoy Krishna Ghose, Purnananda Sanyal, Manindra Nath Choudhury, Saroj Ranjan Das Kanungo, Santi Gopal Sen, Sailesh Chandra Ghose, Anath Bondhu Panja,Mrigendra Dutta and others decided toassassinate him.[5]
On 2 September 1933 Ghosh, along with Panja and Dutta, shot Burge dead during the half time of a football match when Burge was stepping from a car to take part in the game. Panja was killed instantly by a bodyguard,[6] the assassins were pursued by a Police Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent playing. Dutta was wounded and also died that day.[12][3]
A Special Tribunal under theBengal Criminal Law Amendment, 1925, found the survivors guilty and sentenced them to death.[13][14][15] Nirmal Jiban Ghosh, Brajakishore Chakraborty and Ram Krishna Roy were all sentenced to death.[13][16][17][18]Bijoy Krishna Ghose, Purnanandu Sanyal, Manindra Nath Choudhury and Saroj Ranjan Das Kanungo were found not guilty of the charges against them.[13]
The rest of the accused:Santi Gopal Sen, Kamakhya Charan Ghosh, Sonatan Roy, Nanda Dulal Singh, Sukumar Sen Gupta, Prabhanshu Sekhar Pal, Sailesh Chandra Ghose were found guilty and were sent to Jail.[19][20][16][17]
Anath Bondhu Panja was acquitted of murder.[21]
Anathbandhu was killed instantly by the body guard of the District Magistrate on 2 September 1933.[22][23]
A school near his village is named after him as Harirhat Anath Smriti Girls' High School.[24] A statue of Panja was founded nearMidnapore Collegiate School.
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