Born in a simple Bengali family in Kolkata, Jatindranath Das had jumped into the freedom movement of the country at the age of just 16. He is also known as Jatin Das. At the age of 16, the age when children think about themselves and their friends and try to fulfill their hobbies, at that young age, Jatindra thought about the people of the country. He threw a bomb in the Lahore Assembly, in which several British officers were killed. After this the British police intensified the activities to nab their comrades and they were apprehended. In those days the condition of Indian political prisoners in jail was very bad. The life of the people in the prison had become hell. Their clothes were not washed for months. Food was prepared and served in all the dirt. This gradually filled the anger among the Indian prisoners. He went on a hunger strike to protest against the ill treatment of Indian prisoners in the jail. His revolutionary hunger strike began with this steadfast vow to win or die. He believed that it is probably easier to die by taking a bullet or by hanging while fighting, because it does not take much time, but in fasting, the person gradually progresses towards death. In such a situation, if its morale is low, then the basic purpose of the organization is in danger.
To break the strike, the jail authorities started giving delicious food, sweets and milk etc. to these revolutionaries. All the revolutionaries used to throw these things, but even when Jatindra was kept in the room, he could not even see, far from touching the food. The jail authorities decided to forcibly break the fast. By holding the hands and feet of the prisoners, they used to put milk in the stomach by inserting a rubber tube in the nose. When this was done to Jatindra, he started coughing heavily. Due to this the milk went into his lungs and his condition worsened. The jail administration called his younger brother Kiranchandra Das to look after him, but Jatindranath Das allowed him to stay with him on the condition that he would not come in the way of their resolve. Not only this, if the jail officer wants to give any food, medicine or injection in his unconscious state, then he will not allow it to happen.
Even on the 63rd day of the strike, he had a different sharpness on his face. Jatindra took farewell from this world. At the age of 24, this true son of Mother India sacrificed for his country. This was true passion and love for the country, saw neither age nor health, only my own country.
Posted on 16th Aug 2022