Batukeshwar Dutt
Born:
Died:
1910
1965
State:
West Bengal
Summary:
Batukeshwar Dutt was a revolutionary freedom fighter best known for his role alongside Bhagat Singh in the Central Legislative Assembly bombing of 1929. He believed in using symbolic revolutionary acts to awaken the Indian masses against British colonial rule rather than causing loss of life.
Biography:
Batukeshwar Dutt was born in 1910 in Kanpur, though his family roots were in Bengal. From a young age, he was deeply influenced by revolutionary ideas and became associated with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), which aimed to overthrow British rule through organized revolutionary action.
In 1929, Batukeshwar Dutt, along with Bhagat Singh, threw non-lethal bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest repressive British laws. Both revolutionaries courted arrest deliberately to use the courtroom as a platform to spread nationalist ideas. Dutt endured harsh imprisonment, including hunger strikes and severe health deterioration during incarceration.
After independence, Batukeshwar Dutt lived a life of relative obscurity and poverty, unlike many prominent freedom fighters. He passed away in 1965, largely forgotten by the nation he helped liberate, but his sacrifice remains a powerful reminder of the revolutionary spirit that fueled India’s struggle for freedom.
Key Movements:
- Central Legislative Assembly Bombing (1929)
- Membership in Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
- Revolutionary propaganda against British rule
- Participation in anti-colonial underground activities