Basanta Kumar Biswas
Encyclopedia
Basanta Kumar Biswas was a pro-independence activist involved in the Jugantar
group who, in December 1912, is believed to have bombed the Viceroy
's Parade
in what came to be known as the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy.
He was initiated into revolutionary movement
by Jugantar leaders Amarendranath Chattopadhyaya
and Rash Behari Bose
.
, disguised as a woman
, threw a bomb at Lord Charles Hardinge in Delhi
. Police arrested him on 26 February 1914 in Porgachha, Nadia while he went to perform the last rites for his father. The trial, which came to be called the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy Case
, began on 23 May 1914 in Delhi and on 5 October, Basanta was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the Government was eager to have the death penalty imposed so an appeal
was formulated at Lahore High Court
and the records held at Ambala Central Jail were tampered with to show that Biswas was two years older than he really was to impute legal responsibility for his offence. The Crown won its appeal and Biswas was sentenced to be hanged.
Basanta Kumar Biswas was hanged on 11 May 1915 at Ambala Central Jail in Punjab
aged twenty and became one of the youngest people to be executed during the Indian revolutionary struggles during the 20th century. There are four plaque
s to commemorate Biswas - one in front of Muragachha School, Nadia; the other next to the Rabindra Bhavan auditorium
at Krishnanagar, the third at Madame Tetsu-cong-Hiochi's garden in Tokyo
and the fourth one in front of the SUVENDU MEMORIAL TRUST, a full fledged eye care unit, meant for the poor under the patronage of Suvendu Memorial Trust at P.O & Vill- Gobrapota, Nadia, Pin-741188. Rashbehari Bose embedded the third one in memory of his young disciple.
Jugantar
Jugantar or Yugantar was one of the two main secret revolutionary trends operating in Bengal for Indian independence.This association, like Anushilan Samiti started in the guise of suburban fitness club. Several Jugantar members were arrested, hanged, or deported for life to the Cellular Jail in...
group who, in December 1912, is believed to have bombed the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
's Parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
in what came to be known as the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy.
He was initiated into revolutionary movement
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...
by Jugantar leaders Amarendranath Chattopadhyaya
Amarendra Chatterjee
Amarendranath Chatterjee was an Indian independence movement activist. In charge of raising funds for the Jugantar movement, his activities largely covered revolutionary centres in Bihar, Orissa and the United Provinces....
and Rash Behari Bose
Rash Behari Bose
Rashbehari Bose was a revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India and was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and later, the Indian National Army.-Early life:...
.
Revolutionary activities
On 23 December 1912, BiswasBiswas
Biswas is a surname common in West Bengal and Bangladesh:People*Abdur Rahman Biswas , a Bangladeshi politician*Anil Biswas , an Indian film music composer...
, disguised as a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
, threw a bomb at Lord Charles Hardinge in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Police arrested him on 26 February 1914 in Porgachha, Nadia while he went to perform the last rites for his father. The trial, which came to be called the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy Case
Delhi conspiracy case
The Delhi Conspiracy case, also known as the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy, refers to a conspiracy in 1912 to assassinate the then Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge, on the occasion of transferring the capital of British India from Calcutta to New Delhi...
, began on 23 May 1914 in Delhi and on 5 October, Basanta was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the Government was eager to have the death penalty imposed so an appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
was formulated at Lahore High Court
Lahore High Court
The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab...
and the records held at Ambala Central Jail were tampered with to show that Biswas was two years older than he really was to impute legal responsibility for his offence. The Crown won its appeal and Biswas was sentenced to be hanged.
Basanta Kumar Biswas was hanged on 11 May 1915 at Ambala Central Jail in Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
aged twenty and became one of the youngest people to be executed during the Indian revolutionary struggles during the 20th century. There are four plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
s to commemorate Biswas - one in front of Muragachha School, Nadia; the other next to the Rabindra Bhavan auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
at Krishnanagar, the third at Madame Tetsu-cong-Hiochi's garden in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and the fourth one in front of the SUVENDU MEMORIAL TRUST, a full fledged eye care unit, meant for the poor under the patronage of Suvendu Memorial Trust at P.O & Vill- Gobrapota, Nadia, Pin-741188. Rashbehari Bose embedded the third one in memory of his young disciple.
External links
- Banglapedia article
- The Tribune article
- AICC website article
- http://saneax.googlepages.com/kaushik_is_pagla
See also
- Indian independence movementIndian independence movementThe 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...
- Indian National ArmyIndian National ArmyThe Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
- Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind
- Revolutionary movement for Indian independenceRevolutionary movement for Indian independenceThe 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...