'Deshbandhu' - Chittaranjan Das

Chittaranjan Das (1870-1925), whose life is a landmark in the history of India's struggle for freedom, was endearingly called 'Deshbandhu' (Friend of the country). Born on November 5, 1870 in Calcutta, he belonged to an upper middle class Vaidya family of Telirbagh in the then Dacca district. His father, Bhuban Moban Das, was a reputed solicitor of the Calcutta High Court. An ardent member of the Brahmo Samaj, he was also well-known for his intellectual and Journalistic pursuits. 

After receiving his early education at the London Missionary Society's Institution at Bhowanipore (Calcutta),Chittaranjan passed the entrance examination in 1885 as a private candidate. He graduated from the Presidency College in 1890. He then went to England to compete for the I.C.S.; but he was "the last man out" in his year. Therefore he joined the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1894.

It was Bankim Chandra who partly influenced him in his political ideas. While at the Presidency College,Chittaranjan was a leading figure of the Student's Association; and from Surendranath Banerjee he took his first lessons in Public service and elocution. In 1894 Das came back to India and enrolled himself as a Barrister of the Calcutta High Court.

Chittaranjan’s patriotic ideas were greatly influenced by his father. It was Bankim Chandra who influenced him in his political ideas. It was not before 1917 that Das came to the forefront of nationalist politics. In that year he was invited to preside over the Bengal Provincial Conference held at Bhowanipore. His political career was brief but meteoric. In the course of only eight years he rose to all-India fame by virtue of his intense patriotism, sincerity and booming power.

He wanted "Swaraj for the masses, not for the classes". To him, "Swaraj is government by the people and for the people". An advocate of communal harmony and Hindu-Muslim unity, Das affected, in 1923, the Bengal Pact between the Hindus and Muslims of Bengal. A champion of national education and the vernacular medium, he felt that the masses should be properly educated to participate in the nationalist movement. His religious and social outlook was liberal. He was against caste-discrimination and untouchability. A believer in women’s emancipation and widow re-marriage, he supported the spread of female education and widow remarriage.

Great as a jurist, and dynamic as a leader of Bengal, Chittaranjan was a follower of Indian nationalism. In the words of Tagore, “the best gift that Chittaranjan left for his countrymen is not any particular political or socialprogramme but the creative force of a great aspiration that has taken a deathless form in the sacrifice which his life represented".

 His abilities as an advocate evoked admiration.The turning point in his career came when he was called upon to appear on behalf of Aurobindo Ghose in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908). It was due to his brilliant handling of the case that Aurobindo was ultimately acquitted.This case brought Das to the forefront professionally and politically.

Chittaranjan was the defence counsel in the Dacca Conspiracy Case (1910-11). He was famed for his handling of both civil and criminal law. Chittaranjan Das was a noted freedom fighter and social activist.

 He was appointed the Mayor of Calcutta Corporation after it was formed. He attended Gaya  conference of India National Congress.

During non-cooperation movement he set many examples, such as, burning his own western clothes, sending his wife and son to jail and others. He, along with Motilal Nehru and Srinivas Ayyangar, founded "Swarajya Dal" in 1922 and came out successfully in the election of 1923. He published a daily paper FORWARD. In that year he formed a pact known as BENGAL PACT with Bengal Muslim Leaders depicting "unity from the top", which he aimed at "a strange marriage" to uplift the religion-communal consciousness among the two communities.

Deshbandhu wanted "Swaraj for the masses, not for the classes." He believed in non-violent and constitutional methods for the realization of national independence. In the economic field, Das stressed the need of constructive work in villages. A champion of national education and vernacular medium, he felt that the masses should be properly educated to participate in the nationalist movement. Chittaranjan also made his mark as a poet and an essayist. His religious and social outlook was liberal. A believer in women's emancipation, he supported the spread of female education and widow re-marriage and was an advocate of inter-caste marriage.

Along with Motilal Nehru, Deshbandhu, founded the Swaraj Party in 1923. The party was recognized as the parliamentary wing of the Congress. Deshbandhu was elected mayor of Calcutta in 1924, after the Swaraj Party gained majority in the elections. During his tenure as the mayor, he brought greater efficiency to the administration and implemented many welfare projects. Chittaranjan Das later established the Deshbandhu Memorial Fund to build a temple, establish an orphanage and provide education to the masses. Besides being a shrewd lawyer, Das was also a literary person. He wrote collections of poems like ‘Mala’ and ‘Antaryami’ and ‘Kishore Kishori’. Along with another revolutionary leader, Aravinda Ghosh, he founded the famous journal ‘Bande Mataram’. He also served as the editor-in-chief of the journal ‘Forward’, which was the mouthpiece of the Swaraj party. Chittaranjan passed away on June 16, 1925 at Darjeeling at the age of 55. Great as a jurist, Chittaranjan was the greatest and most dynamic leader of the then Bengal. Above all, he was a messenger of Indian nationalism.