Basanta Kumar Biswas

Infobox revolution biography
name=Basanta Kumar Biswas
lived=February 6, 1895–May 11 1915
placeofbirth=Poragachha, Nadia District, West Bengal, India
placeofdeath=Ambala Central Jail - Punjab, India


caption=File photo of Basanta Kumar Biswas
movement=Indian Independence movement
organizations=Jugantar

Basanta Kumar Biswas (6 February 1895, Poragachha, Nadia District – 1915) 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.

Revolutionary activities

On 23 December, 1912 Biswas, disguised as a woman, threw a bomb at Governor General Lord Charles Hardinge in Delhi. [ [http://ajumukhopadhyay.com/Articles-Partition_of_Bengal.html Partition of Bengal article] ] Police arrested him on 26 February 1914 in Krishnanagar, Nadia while he was performing 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 penelty 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 input 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 persons to be executed during the Indian revolutionary struggles during the 20th century. There are three plaques to commemorate Biswas - one in front of Muragachha School, Nadia; the other next to the Rabindra Bhavan auditorium at Krishnanagar and the third at Madame Tetsu-cong-Hiochi's garden in Tokyo. The last one being unveiled by Rash Behari Bose.

External links

* [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/B_0678.htm Banglapedia article]
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000206/spectrum/main2.htm The Tribune article]
* [http://www.aicc.org.in/india%E2%80%99s_struggle_for_freedom.php AICC website article]
* [http://saneax.googlepages.com/kaushik_is_pagla]

Notes

ee also

*Indian independence movement
*Indian National Army
*Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind
*Revolutionary movement for Indian independence