Why in News?
- A recent article revisits the life, legacy, and neglect of Batukeshwar Dutt, co-revolutionary of Bhagat Singh, on the occasion of renewed debates around revolutionary memorialisation.
- Highlights the 1929 Central Assembly bombing, Dutt’s sacrifices, and the lack of adequate national recognition despite his central role.
Relevance :
- GS1: Modern Indian History
- Revolutionary nationalism, HSRA, Central Assembly Bombing
- Freedom fighters’ contributions beyond textbook icons
- GS1: Heritage & Personalities
- Historical neglect, issues of memorialisation
Basic Facts
- Event: Central Assembly Bombing, April 8, 1929 (Delhi).
- Actors: Bhagat Singh & Batukeshwar Dutt (HSRA members).
- Objective: Protest against the Public Safety Bill & Trade Disputes Bill; aimed to “make the deaf hear”.
- Nature of Bombs: Harmless, non-lethal; intended for symbolic protest.
- Slogans: Inquilab Zindabad; Samrajyavad ka Nash Ho.
- Pamphlet: “To Make the Deaf Hear”.
- Outcome: Both arrested; life sentence for Dutt, death sentence later in Lahore Conspiracy Case for Bhagat Singh.
Batukeshwar Dutt: Life & Background
- Born: 18 November 1910, Burdwan (Bengal).
- Joined HSRA as a young revolutionary; close associate of Bhagat Singh.
- Convicted in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case (June 12, 1929); sentenced to transportation for life.
Jail Years & Hunger Strikes
- Imprisoned in Multan, Jhelum, Trichinopoly, Salem, Andamans.
- Undertook multiple hunger strikes demanding political prisoner rights.
- Twice fasted over a month, highlighting prison brutality.
- Was in Salem Jail when Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev were executed (March 23, 1931).
Post-Release Struggles
- Released in 1938; re-arrested in Quit India Movement (1942); jailed again for 4 years.
- Married Anjali; lived in Patna.
- Bihar govt allotted him a coal depot — economically unviable.
- President Rajendra Prasad urged support; resulted only in a token 6-month nomination to Bihar Legislative Council.
Health Decline & Death
- Suffered from bone cancer (mid-1960s).
- Admitted to AIIMS Delhi; eight months of suffering.
- Plans to send him abroad dropped after assessment that Indian care was comparable.
- Died: 20 July 1965.
- Cremated at Hussainiwala, Punjab — beside Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev.
Neglect vs Recognition
- Massive state funeral attended by President, PM, ministers, large public turnout.
- Yet no portrait of Bhagat Singh or Dutt in Parliament; contrast with Savarkar’s portrait being prominently placed.
- 2014 protests by MPs for inclusion of Bhagat Singh’s portrait; ignored.
- Dutt largely absent from school textbooks, memorials, public memory.
Chaman Lal Azad’s Documentation
- Journalist and revolutionary; cared for Dutt during his final months.
- Wrote Urdu series compiled as Bhagat Singh aur Dutt ki Amar Kahani (1966).
- Contains:
- Bhagat Singh’s letters, statements, postcards.
- Gandhi’s letter to Dutt.
- Rare photographs with Nehru, Indira Gandhi.
- Dutt’s recollections of fellow revolutionaries (Hari Kishan Talwar, Ehsan Ilahi, etc.).
- Hindi translation commissioned but unpublished due to copyright issues.
Revolutionary Network & Personal Bonds
- Close ties with Bhagat Singh’s family; Mata Vidyawati stayed with him in final days.
- She even sold a poetic manuscript to raise money for his treatment.
- Comrades like Shiv Verma, Kiran Das, and others remained with him.
- Leaders like Gulzari Lal Nanda, Y. B. Chavan, Jagjivan Ram visited, though recognition came mostly posthumously.
Ideas & Ideological Contributions
- Shared Bhagat Singh’s vision of socialism, secularism, and class equality.
- Emphasised Singh’s intellectual depth — always reading, studying, debating ideology.
- Dutt criticised early films on Bhagat Singh for distortions; approved only Manoj Kumar’s “Shaheed” (1965).
Key Takeaways
- Dutt’s journey reveals systemic neglect of revolutionaries post-independence.
- Highlights tensions between ideological preferences in official memorialisation.
- Shows how state narratives often sideline figures who challenge mainstream political icons.
- His life symbolises the unrewarded sacrifices of many lesser-known freedom fighters.
- Demonstrates the importance of archival preservation — many primary sources remain inaccessible.
