Manindranath Bannerjee

Manindranath Bannerjee
Martyr Manindranath Bannerjee
Born	13 January 1909 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, British India
Died	20 June 1934 Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh, British India
Cause of death	death by hunger strike
Nationality	Indian
Known for	a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association & attained martyrdom by hunger strike in Fatehgarh jail
Movement	Indian independence movement
Parents	Dr. Tarachand Banerjee (father) Sunayani Devi (mother)

Manindranath Bannerjee (Bengali: মণীন্দ্ৰনাথ ব্যানার্জি; Hindi: मणींद्रनाथ बनर्जी) (13 January 1909 – 20 June 1934) was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter associated with the Hindustan Republican Association. Born into a nationalist Bengali family in Banaras (Varanasi), he was deeply inspired by revolutionary Rajendra Lahiri, whose execution he avenged by assassinating Jitendra Nath Banerjee, a British intelligence officer whose testimony had led to Lahiri’s hanging in the Kakori conspiracy case. For this act, Manindranath was sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.^[1][2] While incarcerated in Fatehgarh Central Jail, he launched a hunger strike on 14 May 1934 to protest the mistreatment of political prisoners. After fasting for 36 days, he died in custody on 20 June 1934, at the age of 35. All eight brothers of Manindranath were active in the freedom struggle, making their family a symbol of collective resistance. Manindranath remains a poignant symbol of revolutionary sacrifice in India's Struggle for Independence.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Early Life and Family Background

Manindranath Banerjee was born on 13 January 1909 in Banaras (now Varanasi), into a distinguished Bengali family with a legacy of public service and anti-colonial activism. His father, Dr. Tarachand Banerjee, was a well-known homeopathic physician, while his mother, Sunayani Devi, actively supported her sons’ involvement in the nationalist movement. His grandfather, Hare Prasanna Banerjee, had served as a deputy collector under British administration but resigned in 1899 in protest against colonial policies and joined the cause of Indian independence movement.^[8][9]

The Banerjee household was deeply involved in revolutionary politics. Manindranath was one of eight brothers, all of whom were associated with anti-British activities. Among them, Basant Kumar Banerjee, his younger brother, later settled in Khanpur No. 1 in Dineshpur, Uttarakhand, after the Partition in 1947. The family’s collective contribution to the independence movement became a source of regional pride for Bengali settlers in the Terai region.^[10][11]

Manindranath's brothers Mohit, Prabhash, Phanindra, Amiya, Basanta and their mother Sunayani devi.

Revolutionary activities & arrest

Association with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)

In the years following the Kakori conspiracy case (1925), Manindranath Banerjee became associated with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary organization committed to the overthrow of British colonial rule through armed resistance. By the late 1920s, he was part of the HSRA’s Banaras unit, which remained active despite the crackdown on the organization following the arrests and executions of its leaders. Manindranath held Rajendra Nath Lahiri—one of the key figures executed in the Kakori case—as his ideological mentor.^[12][13][14]

The severe sentences imposed on the accused in the Kakori trial had a profound emotional impact on the young Manindranath. According to historical accounts, he held Jitendra Nath Banerjee, a senior police official with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), responsible for providing critical testimony that led to Lahiri’s execution, for which he had received the title "Rai Bahadur" from the British government.^[9]

Assassination Attempt on Jitendra Nath Banerjee

On 13 January 1928, the day of his 19th birthday, Manindranath Banerjee attempted to assassinate Jitendra Nath Banerjee,

The attack occurred in Godowlia Chowk, Banaras, near the Kashi Raj Kali Temple, while Jitendra Nath Banerjee was en route for a religious visit. Manindranath shot him three times at close range with a revolver. Although Jitendra Nath did not die instantly, he fell into a coma and remained unconscious for nearly three months.^[15][16]

According to contemporary reports, immediately after the shooting, Manindranath rebuked him, allegedly stating: "Pay the price for the hanging of Rajendra Lahiri" and "You have got your reward for the Kakori case." He was arrested at the scene and taken into custody by British authorities.

Trial & judgement

There is some historical uncertainty regarding the exact relationship between Manindranath and Jitendra Nath Banerjee. Some accounts describe the officer as Manindranath’s maternal uncle, while others dispute the familial connection. Regardless, the act was interpreted by contemporary revolutionaries as an act of retribution for state actions against the Kakori case convicts.^[17]

At his subsequent trial, Manindranath Banerjee was convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. Though he escaped the death penalty, his incarceration marked the beginning of his final chapter as a revolutionary martyr.^[18][19]

Imprisonment and Hunger Strike in Fatehgarh Jail

Conditions at Fatehgarh Central Jail

After his conviction in 1928, Manindranath Banerjee was imprisoned in Fatehgarh Central Jail, Uttar Pradesh. During this period, the prison had a notorious reputation among revolutionaries, often referred to as the "Andamans of the United Provinces" due to its harsh treatment of political prisoners and its extreme isolation. The jail, situated far from urban centers and mainstream media, seldom attracted public or press attention. Political prisoners were often subjected to conditions no different from ordinary criminals.^[20]

Ganda Singh, the jailer at the time, was known for his strict and discriminatory treatment of political detainees. This intensified the already grim atmosphere within the jail. When Manmath Nath Gupta, another revolutionary from the Kakori conspiracy, was transferred to Fatehgarh, he was surprised and uplifted to find Manindranath already incarcerated there. The two soon developed a close bond.^[21][22]

Inhumane Treatment and Protest

With the arrival of Colonel Holroyd as the prison superintendent, conditions deteriorated further. Holroyd, a British officer with a medical background, discontinued the meat diet of political prisoners under the pretext that those not performing hard labour did not need animal protein. He also suspended their legal correspondence, interviews, newspapers, and books, effectively isolating them from the outside world.^[23]

This censorship and deprivation triggered a peaceful resistance among the prisoners. Despite not being able to establish contact with external supporters, the detainees decided to initiate a hunger strike. Unlike high-profile protests led by leaders like Gandhi, this hunger strike received no publicity or public backing, making it a purely internal act of protest and defiance.^[24][25]

The Strike and Manindranath’s Decline

The hunger strike quickly took a toll. After 20 days, the deteriorating health of the strikers compelled the Inspector General of Prisons, Colonel Palmer, to intervene. A compromise was reached: the authorities agreed not to force labour upon political prisoners, and in return, the prisoners agreed to suspend the strike. Their right to letters, interviews, and newspapers was restored.

However, the plight of C-class political prisoners remained a cause for concern. Banerjee and other B-class prisoners like Gupta began supporting them by sharing food and news. Tensions escalated when Chandrama Singh, a young C-class prisoner, was allegedly beaten by a new Anglo-Indian jailer, C.S. Ledlie, after refusing to give fingerprints. In solidarity, Chandrama initiated a hunger strike, prompting the B-class prisoners to call for a second general hunger strike.^[26][27]

Manindranath, already weakened, was allowed to remain in the barrack while others were dispersed across the prison. The jail authorities attempted to suppress the strike by threatening young prisoners and preparing for corporal punishment. The mental and physical pressure proved too intense. Chandrama broke his fast by the eighth day, and news soon followed that Manindranath Banerjee’s condition had critically worsened.

Declining health

After the hunger strike of May 1934, Manindranath Banerjee’s health began to seriously deteriorate. Despite ending the strike, he was diagnosed with Albuminuria, a sign of kidney failure, and developed heart weakness. He was moved to the hospital on 15 June 1934 after experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea, and visible swelling in his limbs. From that night onward, he began to suffer from acute insomnia and difficulty in breathing. He was forced to sit upright to breathe and was placed in an adjustable chair for temporary relief.^[28][29][30]

Banerjee had been lodged in the same barrack as Manmath Nath Gupta for over three years. Together, they had gardened, studied, and struck up a deep intellectual and emotional friendship. On the morning of 20 June 1934, the jail authorities allowed Gupta and Yashpal to visit Banerjee, informing them that his condition had turned critical. Upon arrival, they found Manindra lying face-down on pillows, groaning and unable to see. His left eye was completely blind, and his right eye only perceived a haze. His condition continued to worsen despite injections and the arrival of the civil surgeon, Dr. Ghulam Murtaza.

Gupta and Yashpal stayed by Banerjee’s side, massaging his chest, giving him sips of water, and attempting to soothe him. He was given strong medications and later oxygen, but by then his organs had begun to fail, and urine output had dropped to nearly nothing in the past 24 hours. Despite his deep suffering, Banerjee’s mind remained sharp. He carried on conversations in Bengali and English and displayed a lucid awareness of his condition. “I am not afraid to die,” he told Gupta, “what I regret is I am dying of disease and not like a martyr.”^[31]

The prison authorities were criticized by fellow inmates for their neglect and late response, especially in administering proper treatment or an appropriate medical diet. Despite prior warning signs, Banerjee was not given a special regimen; his blood pressure was only tested four days before his death and found to be dangerously high (200). Gupta also attempted to get telegrams sent to Banerjee’s family in Varanasi, Meerut, and Allahabad, fearing the official notification lacked urgency.^[32]

Final Days

On 20 June 1934, after a brief period of apparent improvement, Banerjee's condition worsened again. He could no longer sleep, had trouble breathing, and began groaning incessantly. Gupta and Yashpal took turns nursing him, rubbing his limbs to combat numbness and comforting him with familiar voices. Banerjee was visibly distressed, repeatedly calling out to his mother, “Ma, Ma, Ma,” in the last hours of his life.

Shortly before 4 p.m., he was administered a strong red-labelled medicine, but even a few drops seemed hard for him to swallow. As Gupta held him, Manindra’s head fell lifeless onto his lap at exactly 4:15 p.m.. A final injection of pituitrin was administered by the doctor, but it was futile. The doctor confirmed, “All is over. Now there is nothing.”^[33][34]

The death of Manindranath Banerjee sent a wave of sorrow through the prison. Even ordinary prisoners mourned him. His fellow inmates had nicknamed him “Sudama” (the innocent one). Ramesh Chandra Gupta a co-prisoner called him Yudhishthira, and Randhir wrote, “I thought my heart would stop beating.” Manindra had often said he would leave Fatehgarh only in death—and so he did.

His body was handed over to his family but not given a public funeral. His brother Prabhash Banerjee performed the cremation quietly with the help of warders, reportedly under pressure from prison authorities to avoid political attention. Manindra's ashes were taken to Pandeghat in Varanasi, his hometown. There, the steps leading to the Ganga silently bore witness to the unceremonious farewell of a man who had once aspired to die a revolutionary’s death.^{[35][36][37][38]}

Legacy

The death of Manindranath Banerjee during a hunger strike in Fatehgarh Jail on 20 June 1934 marked a significant episode in the history of political prisoners in colonial India. His protest, aimed at securing better treatment for revolutionary inmates, occurred during a period of declining revolutionary activity following the executions in the Kakori conspiracy case (1927) and the deaths of Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh (1931). Historians and commentators have noted that his actions helped sustain the underground revolutionary tradition, particularly in Banaras, where he was based during the early phase of his political work.^[39][40]

Writers and political historians sometimes link Banerjee’s role to the earlier Banaras Conspiracy Case (1914–15), which had involved plans for mutiny in British cantonments and featured revolutionaries such as Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Rajendra Lahiri. While not directly connected to the conspiracy itself, Banerjee’s later activism in the region was seen as a continuation of its ideological lineage.^[41][42][43]

For several decades, there were no formal memorials commemorating Banerjee or other regional revolutionaries in Banaras, and most of their ancestral homes no longer exist. Commentators have described this absence as indicative of a broader decline in public commemoration of local freedom fighters.^[44][45][46]

In recent years, a bust and memorial dedicated to Banerjee has been established at Fatehgarh Jail, where he died. Members of his family, including Advocate Uttam Kumar Banerjee, continue to observe his death anniversary there. Additionally, commemorative programs have been organised in parts of northern India, including among Bengali-speaking communities in Khanpur village, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, where events have occasionally been held in his memory.^{[47][48][49][50]}

Banerjee’s death during the hunger strike has received retrospective attention in writings and public history forums as an example of non-violent resistance and the hardships endured by political prisoners during British rule.^[51][45][52]

See also

• Rajendra Lahiri
• Manmath Nath Gupta
• Bhagat Singh
• Chandrasekhar Azad
• Yashpal
• Ramesh Chandra Gupta

References

1. Ghosh, Kali Charan. The Roll of Honour.
2. Ghosh, Kali Charan (1960). The Roll of Honour. Calcutta: Vidya Bharati.
3. https://amritkaal.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?28003
4. "Indian History: Manindra Nath Banerjee: Unsung Revolutionary of India". 6 February 2021.
5. "शहादत के शानदार उदाहरण शहीद मणींद्रनाथ बनर्जी - Ansuni Awaaz". 12 January 2023.
6. https://www.pawankumarias.com/%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%a3%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%a8%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%a6%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a5-%e0%a4%ac%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%b0%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%9c%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%b6%e0%a4%b9/
7. "মণীন্দ্ৰনাথ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়". www.ebanglalibrary.com.
8. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.21007
9. Ghosh, Kalicharan (1962). Jagaran O Bisphoran Ed. 1st.
10. "Jug-Barta যুগবার্তা". Prabartak Publishing House, Chandannagar. 26 June 1920 – via Internet Archive.
11. Ghosh, kalicharan (1979). Balidanon Ki Prashasti Shahid Puran.
12. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.21003
13. Bose, Subhas Chandra. Subhas-rachanavali Vol. 2.
14. Ghosh, Kalicharan (1973). Banglar Sashastra Biplaber Purbapar Itibritta.
15. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.17206
16. Rakshit, Bhupendrakishor (1960). Bharater Sashastra-biplab.
17. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.4185
18. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.457812
19. Ray, Bhupendrakishore Rakshit (1960). Bharate Shashastra Biplab.
20. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.354849
21. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.267214
22. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.267045
23. https://archive.org/details/rememberingourle0000unse
24. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.336379
25. Dasgupta, Sri Hemendranath (1946). Bharater Biplab Kahini Vol. 1.
26. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.339375
27. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.13295
28. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.457664
29. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.13360
30. https://archive.org/details/rebelswivessaint0000sark
31. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.352658
32. Kanungo, Hemchandra (1929). Banglay Biplab Prachesta Ed. 1st (in other). NA.
33. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.453419
34. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.515316
35. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.357793
36. Majumdar, Satyendranarayan (1971). Aamar Biplab-jigyasa Parbo.1(1927-1985).
37. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.145725
38. https://archive.org/details/bombinbengalrise0000heeh
39. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.302528
40. https://archive.org/details/revealing-facts-about-indias-freedom-stru-rajnikant-puranik
41. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.301873
42. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.457951
43. https://www.wesparkyou.com/post/manindra-nath-banerjee-a-great-freedom-fighter-and-unsung-hero
44. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.266645
45. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.353031/page/n48/mode/thumb
46. https://patriotsofindia.com/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A5-%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80.html
47. https://archive.org/details/IchapurBartaEditedByBiplabGhosh
48. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.298601
49. https://www.samriddhisamachar.com/the-martyrdom-of-immortal-martyr-manindranath-banerjee-was-remembered/
50. https://www.livehindustan.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/story-revolutionary-manindranath-banerjee-remembered-6666104.html
51. https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.2942
52. https://www.livehindustan.com/uttarakhand/pithoragarh/story-revolutionary-manindranath-banerjee-remembered-6666560.html

Bibliography

• They lived dangerously, by Manmathnath Gupta;
• Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
• Roll of Honour by Kalicharan Ghosh, Calcutta 1960;
• Abishmaraniya by Ganganarayan Chandra
• Jagaran O Bisphoran by Kalicharan Ghosh, Calcutta 1962;
• History of Indian revolutionary movement by Manmathnath Gupta, 1972;