Page 41 - NIS English 01-15 December,2022

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Nation

JATINDRANATH MUKHERJEE BECAME POPULAR

AS BAGHA JATIN AFTER KILLING A TIGER

Born: December 7, 1879; died: September 10, 1915

atindranath Mukherjee, a brave revolutionary time. Jatindranath Mukherjee's name was also
Jwho fought against British rule, was born mentioned in the big robberies of gun-cartridge
on December 7, 1879, in the Nadia district of companies "Rada," "Baliya Ghat," and "Garden
undivided Bengal. He had killed a tiger at the Reach" in Calcutta at the time.
age of just 27 and saved the villagers with his Jatin sought foreign aid and attempted to
bravery. After this incident, he became famous launch an attack on the British when World
as Bagha Jatin. Jatin quit his government job War I broke out in 1914. He planned to take a
to join the freedom struggle. In 1908, he beat consignment of weapons near Baleshwar on
up three British officers at the Siliguri railway September 9, 1915, but the British learned about it.
station, causing the British officers to fear him. The British then launched an attack on the group.
It is said that Jatin Bagha could not see anyone Jatin and his companions fought bravely against
being treated unfairly. Jatin was courageous the British, but Bagha Jatin was seriously injured.
and physically strong since childhood, which All of his weapons were confiscated by the British.
made the British fear him as well. Sri Aurobindo Chittapriya Rai, a revolutionary, was killed in the
instructed Jatin to form a secret society, clash, and revolutionaries Manoranjan Sengupta
which came to be known as the Secret Society and Niren were apprehended by police. This great
Yugantar. Indian independence revolutionary died the next
Bagha Jatin became the "Commander-in- day, on September 10, 1915, in the Baleshwar City
Chief" of the Secret Society Yugantar. It was a Hospital in Odisha.
major organisation of revolutionaries during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed to
British period. He inspired many young people. freedom fighter Bagha Jatin on his centenary of
Bagha Jatin used to say, "Amra Morbo, Jagat martyrdom day, saying in his message, " I salute
Jagbe," which meant that " We shall die to awaken Bagha Jatin on the centenary of his martyrdom.
the nation." Dacoity was the main source of His courage and sacrifice for our Motherland will
funding for the revolutionaries' movement at the always be remembered.”

with Lal Bahadur Shastri, Balwantrai Mehta, and he continued to carry on the freedom movement
many others, joined this organisation. Amarnath through journalism while also serving as the editor
Vidyalankar was entrusted with teaching history at of the Punjab Kesari weekly.
the Lahore National College, where Bhagat Singh In 1931, Vidyalankar was imprisoned for two
and his companions also studied. Following the years for his editorials on the failure of the Round
closure of the National College, Lala Lajpat Rai sent Table Conferences. During the Quit India Movement,
out Amarnath Vidyalankar to Hisar to assist famine Vidyalankar was also sentenced to two years in
victims in remote areas. prison. When the country was divided in 1947, he
In the meantime, along with serving the victims organised rescue teams to assist the people. Even
of the famine, he also did the work of organising after independence, he remained active and worked
the workers. He also played an important role in for the benefit of the nation. From 1957 to 1962,
running the labour movement in Haryana. He and he served as a minister in the Punjab government
some associates established farmer schools in and was elected to the Lok Sabha three times.
Punjab villages. He also led the Indian delegation to Vidyalankar also wrote a number of books. He
a number of labour conferences. Not only that, but breathed his last on September 21, 1985.

New India Samachar December 1-15, 2022 39