West Bengal’s revolutionary past holds tales of extraordinary bravery, yet 12 of its boldest sons languish in obscurity, as highlighted by Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee. During Wednesday’s Zero Hour, he demanded justice for these Cellular Jail inmates from the Alipore Bomb Case era.
Barin Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, and Hemchandra Kanungo exemplified defiance. Ghosh built secret bomb factories and networks through Jugantar and Anushilan groups. Dutt crafted the explosives, and Kanungo imported revolutionary know-how from Europe.
Sentenced to lifelong exile after trials exposing their anti-colonial plots—including the Muzaffarpur bombing—they faced Kala Pani’s brutal regime without flinching. Solitary confinement, back-breaking toil, and isolation tested their spirits, but mercy petitions? Never.
‘They fought the British empire without deals or surrender,’ Banerjee declared. Their story contrasts sharply with compromised figures in independence lore.
The 1908-1909 Alipore trials gripped Calcutta, charging revolutionaries with conspiracy, bomb-making, and regicide attempts. Death penalties for key figures were later reduced, but the punishment was eternal.
Banerjee revealed 46 Bengalis among the jail’s pioneer prisoners. His speech reignites calls to celebrate Bengal’s uncompromising revolutionaries, ensuring their legacy endures in classrooms, memorials, and national memory.