Jatindra Nath Das
Jatindra Nath Das, also known as Jatin Das, was a fervent Indian freedom fighter born on October 27, 1904, in Calcutta. His life was marked by a deep commitment to the cause of Indian independence, which he pursued from a young age. Das was a bright student who joined the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary group in Bengal, and actively participated in Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement at the tender age of 17. His revolutionary activities led to his arrest in November 1925 while he was pursuing a BA at Vidyasagar College in Calcutta. In jail, he protested against the ill-treatment of political prisoners through a hunger strike, a form of protest he would tragically repeat. On June 14, 1929, Das was arrested again for his revolutionary activities and imprisoned in Lahore jail, where he began a hunger strike demanding equality for Indian political prisoners. His steadfast resolve and refusal to end his hunger strike without the fulfillment of his demands led to his death on September 13, 1929, after 63 days of fasting, at the age of 24. His death sparked widespread protest and mourning throughout India, highlighting the inhumane treatment of Indian prisoners and further galvanizing the freedom movement. The Indian government honored his sacrifice by issuing a special postage stamp on the 50th anniversary of his martyrdom.
