THE BE-WARISH LASH AT HRISHIKESH

 FORGOTTEN “AGNIKANYA”

LOST  PRIDE OF COLONIAL BENGAL

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

PROLOGUE

A dead body was recovered from the roadside  along the river Ganges, on 26 December 1986 in a semi- decomposed  state at a desolate place,   at HRISHIKESH.

Local Police was informed by people of the area, who discovered it. There were no ornaments in the body— and the body was wrapped in a very  old SARI, Bengali style. Police took photos, kept the body in Morgue, and published the photo  in local newspapers with two lines:-“ Unidentified Dead body recovered, age approximately 70 years, and the deceased may be a Bengali woman.   (Must be concluded from the style the Sari was worn). INFORMATIOHN REQUIRED FOR IDENTIFICATION.”

Some time passed.

Nothing unusual!!  BUT— WAS IT SO??. I will come to that later.

Dr. Triguna Sen, VC of Jadavpur University, reached later  at KONKHOL—in the ABOTT of “Ma  Anandamayi.”  A past student of him, residing there,  reached him, and show the paper.

Dr. Sen stood up like a BOLT! He knew the person, seen and talked to her many times, who is now a “BE-WARISH LASH!”

By the time, a distant relative also reached the MORGUE.

Dr. Sen  went to the Police station, identified himself,  and also went to Morgue.

The body was claimed—and a respectable  funeral was arranged.

WOMEN, & late nineteenth century of Bengal:

Revolutionary Bina Das was the product of that early 20th century revolutionary nationalist phase of BENGAL, in which, with the advent of time and progress of society the Britishers wanted English educated wives of Indian civil servants to continue with the ensured loyalty to QUEEN’S INDIA.

 Side by side,  on the other hand the educated Indians, though nationalists,  wanted their ‘ DAUGHTERS’ not only to be educated in the western philosophies but also to follow the doctrines of the Ideal Indian womanhood. This dichotomy of demands created a generation of women in the letter half of the 19th century who were educated as well as politically conscious and were eager to participate in the om going socio-political movement against British hegemonies.  The image of the ‘Bhadramahila’ as constructed by the nationalists was one who was a ‘repository of the inner spirituality of Indigenous social life’ . The narratives of women written during these transitional times of conflict between modernity and ,traditionality was not just because women’s activities in public but also in private.  Bina Das’s memoir ‘ Shrinkhaler Jhankar’ in around 1st half of 20th century is the first political autobiography in the regional language which reflects the association of woman between home and the world which majorly contributed to her becoming an integral part of the nationalistic struggle. She also penned down a novel commemorating her father, the Brahmo scholar Beni Madhab Das who also happened to be the teacher and influenced  Netaji Subash Chandra Bose at Ravenshaw Collegiate School. Bina Das had also contributed to the journals like Mandira and Jayashree. This new age women not only partook in the affairs of the state but also safeguarded their literary creativity which became catalyst for organisational mobilisation .  Even though Bina Das was against the colonial raj, yet she had a great regard for the western system of education and had expressed in the courtroom confession statement her deep gratitude towards the Christian nun teachers of her institutes who too harbour deep affection towards her.

A member of Chhatri Sangha, Bina Das, an extremist revolutionary of Indian freedom movement, organised public demonstration against “SIMON COMMISION”  and had attempted to assassinate Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson, in the Convocation Hall of the University of Calcutta at the convocation ceremony held on 6th February, 1932..

At the convocation, Bina Das fired five shots at Jackson at close range. The first shot almost hit him but she was tackled and disarmed by Hassan Suhrawardy, the first Muslim Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. Even then, she managed to shoot the rest of the bullets even after she was grabbed at  her throat by Hassan Suhrawardy. Unfortunately, none of the bullets was able to hit the target.

 Bina Das was caught & imprisoned. Suhrawardy was awarded a knighthood.

Revolutionary Bina Das failed but her 5 page confession that was censored by the British, successfully reached the masses that helped to keep the revolution alive.

 In her confession, she said "IS LIFE WORTH LIVING IN AN INDIA SO SUBJECTED TO WRONG, AND CONTINUALLY GROANING UNDER THE TYRANNY OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT, OR IS IT NOT BETTER TO MAKE ONE'S SUPREME PROTEST AGAINST IT BY OFFERING ONE'S LIFE AWAY?"

Bina das’s father while meeting her daughter in the prison had remarked that both his daughters had inherited their courage and fortitude from their mother who had constantly inspired them to be determined about their political endeavour.

Despite  being rigorously tortured by British police she never revealed the names of her associates.

 After her release, She joined the congress committee in Calcutta and organised various strikes and protests during the Quit India movement.  For this, she was imprisoned again from 1942--45. Her life was completely dedicated to the cause of emancipation of her compatriots in a dual capacity of a non-violent freedom fighter and an armed revolutionary. Bina writes in her memoir, “the youth of Bengal came forward…. with deadly weapons in hand  and fire of rebellion in their eyes, they emerged victorious with death defying arrogance….” The purpose was to make the tyrant aware of its tyranny.

From 1946-47, She was a member of the Bengal Provincial legislative assembly and, from 1947-51 she became a member of West Bengal legislative assembly. In 1947 Bina Das married Jatish Chandra Bhaumik, fellow nationalist of the Jugantar group.

For social work, she got  Padmashree in 1960.

Later after the death of her husband, she came out of public life. She was teaching as a teacher but faced difficulties there for lack of graduation certificate, which was denied  to her by C. U.  as she shot the British Governor.

She was even denied her due pension for lack of educational certificate by Bengal Government, during Jyoti Basu’s regime. The University of Calcutta awarded her a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours for Batch 1931, in 2012, 26 years after her death.

Being frustrated by all these circumstances, she left Calcutta,  and  lived a solitary life in Rishikesh, Utter Pradesh, under penury.

THE END CAME IN A MOST UNCEREMONIOUS MANNER. AGNIKANYA OF BENGAL LEFT THE WORLD, UNKNOWN, ALONE,  WITHOUT FAMILY, AND AWAY FROM BENGAL

Her semi- decomposed body was found in the desolate street of HRISHIKESH.

 Bina Das wrote Two Autobiographical Book in Bengali language:- SHRINKHALER JHANKAR, and PITRIDHAN.

RECOGNITIONS:--

1.0 Bina Das won the Padma Shri award in 1960 for her "Social Work".

2.0 In 2012, Bina Das and Pritilata Waddedar were conferred the Graduation Certificates posthumously by Calcutta University, nearly 80 years after British government withheld them. TOO LATE, Mr. Vice Chancellor. It should have been awarded in 1947, just after 15/08—with a special honour. She could have the received her RIGHTFUL PENSION.

BINA’S LEWTTER TO PARENTS FROM PRISON:

‘Hurling a thunderbolt on our heaven-like abode,
Rocking the tiny nest with the rudest shock
With my work done I stand here today.
But still I hear loving voices all around,
Father’s warm embrace and Mother’s tender heart
Calling their wayward daughter
To the safety of their bosom
Away from all the rigours of the road.
Do not call me. Let me lie here alone.
Holding on with my two weak hands
To my life’s work,
My greatest glory, my greatest shame
You did not like my work
My motherland has turned her face
But, lo! On my futile life’s work
Lies my creator’s benediction.’

BENGAL—Neglecting Bina Das, and alikes are having very deep scar in their Marx influenced secular part of  forgettable history. She gave all she had, for Motherland. In return—got nothing, even recognition, lived a solitary life of poverty at the end, and died incognito.

I PAY MY BELATED REGARDS TO THE AGNIKANYA OF BENGAL.

Note:- Kolkata police didn’t share any record on her in public domain.

REFERENCES

1.0  Sumit Sarkar, women and social reform in modern India,

2.0 Nibedita Paul, Nationalism and politics through Bina das’s memoir

3.0  Indrani Sen, Writing English, Writing Reform: Two Indian Women’s Novels Of the 19th Centuryp:191

4.0  Bina das, Shrinkhaler Jhankar

5. 0  Dahir Dhar, Bina Das: A memoir,2005

6.0  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/who-is-bina-das/articleshow/67689539.cms

7.0 .IJCRT – SEVERAL ISSUES.

8..0  I COULD READ AN ARTICLE ON HER AT BRITISH LIBRARY AS A   PAID  MEMBER . DOWNLOAD WAS PREVENTED.